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1682 reviews
Fifty Shades of Gorgosaur by Lola Faust
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Unironically? This was absolutely hilarious, and I had a great time with it.
It starts great already with a list of content warnings, which both serves its purpose by, well, warning the reader about the content (including, but not limited to, sex with a dinosaur, as well as the blood, death and gore) as well as throwing in a good amount of humor with also warning about things like job interviews, or taxes (implied).
While I have not actually ready (or watched) 50 Shades of Grey, this certainly seems to be exactly the same - except the heroine is bisexual, the billionaire is a dinosaur, and there's a sexy executive assistant.
There isn't much plot beyond exactly what you'd think it would be - heroine applies for job, signs her body away to the billionaire, smut ensues.
But something about the fast-pace, the short length, enthusiastic and horny protagonist, and the writing which didn't take itself all too seriously, really reall worked for this.
There even is a third-act breakup! Well, sort of.
The writing was really great too - not a literary masterpiece, but easy to read, and it made me laugh out loud, both from the... let's say creative ways of describing genitals, but also by the occasional dry humor, plus the occasionally frankly ridiculous situations that happen. I was laughing a lot while I was reading, and this really wasn't a long book - I read it in one sitting in about an hour.
Overall this is a ridiculous but very fun and unserious dinosaur erotica novella. Exactly what it promises to be.
It starts great already with a list of content warnings, which both serves its purpose by, well, warning the reader about the content (including, but not limited to, sex with a dinosaur, as well as the blood, death and gore) as well as throwing in a good amount of humor with also warning about things like job interviews, or taxes (implied).
While I have not actually ready (or watched) 50 Shades of Grey, this certainly seems to be exactly the same - except the heroine is bisexual, the billionaire is a dinosaur, and there's a sexy executive assistant.
There isn't much plot beyond exactly what you'd think it would be - heroine applies for job, signs her body away to the billionaire, smut ensues.
But something about the fast-pace, the short length, enthusiastic and horny protagonist, and the writing which didn't take itself all too seriously, really reall worked for this.
There even is a third-act breakup! Well, sort of.
The writing was really great too - not a literary masterpiece, but easy to read, and it made me laugh out loud, both from the... let's say creative ways of describing genitals, but also by the occasional dry humor, plus the occasionally frankly ridiculous situations that happen. I was laughing a lot while I was reading, and this really wasn't a long book - I read it in one sitting in about an hour.
Overall this is a ridiculous but very fun and unserious dinosaur erotica novella. Exactly what it promises to be.
Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery
3.5
I was super interested in a sports romance featuring Formula 1, but I ended up not really liking the characters.
Haper was acting disrespectful and just plain stupid for a good portion of it, and while some of his behaviour is later explained by trauma, especially his early on rudeness cannot be excused away by that.
Kian was a bit more mature at times, but still had a flaring temper that made him act petty and incredibly rude as well, which combined with his overall higher sense of maturity felt even more jarring.
For a big chunk of the book, I just plain didn't enjoy the characters interactions. Which is not ideal for a romance. This is pitched as an enemies-to-lovers romance, which I usually enjoy. And there sure is animosity between the two, except... they had no reason do dislike each other?? Kian is simply sulking, and Harper is being obnoxious for the heck of it, and neither of them wants to be the bigger person. Even when they try to make up, which happens from both ends several times, they end up breaking off all attempts for plain stupid/senseless reasons again. Not saying that's not realistic, it just was annoying to read about, to be frank.
Once the proper romance started, however, things mellowed out, and I enjoyed it a lot more. There are still conflicts, but they made more sense to me and felt better to read about.
I also enjoyed the mix of romance and sports stuff. F1 was not explained, so someone who has no idea about it may struggle a bit with following the sports stuff - my family is big on F1 so I have some idea of it by osmosis - but I don't think that will impede the reading enjoyment much, as the base "car race" stuff is easy to follow.
I also really enjoyed how little of a deal the queerness was. It's not ignored, but the potentially troublesome conversations all happen off-page. While this was a good choice, a lot of other things also happened off-page... and not all of them I found a good choice. There were several times were I felt like I had missed something, or accidentally skipped a chapter, because so much seemingly important things happened off-page. I personally would also simply have enjoyed some of the things that were skipped, interviews, trainings, conversations and such.
I also found several of the background things to feel very forgotten. For example, there's a whole blackmailing thing going on in the background, but it's barely addressed? Plus, a whole second plotpline in the background that is probably setting up a sequel. Overall, just a lot of stuff happened in the background that felt important but ultimately wasn't, which I found a bit disappointing.
Lastly: the names? Harper James and Kian Walker? Something about Walker and Harper I found super hard to keep apart, especially since the characters jump wildly between calling each other or being called by their first and last names.
Haper was acting disrespectful and just plain stupid for a good portion of it, and while some of his behaviour is later explained by trauma, especially his early on rudeness cannot be excused away by that.
Kian was a bit more mature at times, but still had a flaring temper that made him act petty and incredibly rude as well, which combined with his overall higher sense of maturity felt even more jarring.
For a big chunk of the book, I just plain didn't enjoy the characters interactions. Which is not ideal for a romance. This is pitched as an enemies-to-lovers romance, which I usually enjoy. And there sure is animosity between the two, except... they had no reason do dislike each other?? Kian is simply sulking, and Harper is being obnoxious for the heck of it, and neither of them wants to be the bigger person. Even when they try to make up, which happens from both ends several times, they end up breaking off all attempts for plain stupid/senseless reasons again. Not saying that's not realistic, it just was annoying to read about, to be frank.
Once the proper romance started, however, things mellowed out, and I enjoyed it a lot more. There are still conflicts, but they made more sense to me and felt better to read about.
I also enjoyed the mix of romance and sports stuff. F1 was not explained, so someone who has no idea about it may struggle a bit with following the sports stuff - my family is big on F1 so I have some idea of it by osmosis - but I don't think that will impede the reading enjoyment much, as the base "car race" stuff is easy to follow.
I also really enjoyed how little of a deal the queerness was. It's not ignored, but the potentially troublesome conversations all happen off-page. While this was a good choice, a lot of other things also happened off-page... and not all of them I found a good choice. There were several times were I felt like I had missed something, or accidentally skipped a chapter, because so much seemingly important things happened off-page. I personally would also simply have enjoyed some of the things that were skipped, interviews, trainings, conversations and such.
I also found several of the background things to feel very forgotten. For example, there's a whole blackmailing thing going on in the background, but it's barely addressed? Plus, a whole second plotpline in the background that is probably setting up a sequel. Overall, just a lot of stuff happened in the background that felt important but ultimately wasn't, which I found a bit disappointing.
Lastly: the names? Harper James and Kian Walker? Something about Walker and Harper I found super hard to keep apart, especially since the characters jump wildly between calling each other or being called by their first and last names.
Swordcrossed by Freya Marske
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I'll be honest - the first half of this gay (no magic) romantasy felt a bit lackluster to me, but the second half more than made up for it!
I can't quite put my finger on why, but this did not start off on the right foot for me. I found the beginning kind of confusing with all the different names mentioned, and something about the writing style didn't entirely mesh with me either, even though I've enjoyed other books by this author before.
I did eventually get used to it, but even then, the plot wasn't all that exciting to me. Matti and Luca start off in an antagonistic way but then quickly settling into a mututally benefitial arrangement with plenty of banter and attraction was fun, but not all too much exciting. They did also clearly not trust each other, and maybe that's also why I wasn't that invested into them. The plot around Matti's family debts, his upcoming wedding, and the uncovering of a conspiracy against his family also wasn't super engaging, though also not boring.
What changed the game for me was when Luca's past finally caught up with him. It's clear from the start that he is running from something, but he mostly successfully hides it from both Matti and the reader- until his past catches up with him, and everything comes crashing down. That was a huge turning point for me in the book, and the fact that it forces both character to be honest and face the truth of what they really want VS. their obligations made me truly care about them for the first time.
I felt like at that point the side characters were also more involved. The plot and romance culminates in a beautifully exciting climax that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was dramatic and a bit over-the-top, but very satisfying and indulgent. I enjoyed both the personal relationship developments, the conclusion of the character arcs, as well as how the political intrigue ends up.
This was overall a very feel good read to me.
I know some people feel iffy about the fact that the romance between Luca and Matti happens while Matti is engaged to another. The topic of cheating or open relationships is not discussed in the book, but there are never any hurt feelings or broken obligations or promises.
My personal biggest complaint was that I couldn't always follow all the names of the individual houses and characters - but this may be becauses I read it in audio, where I sometimes struggle with processing names, so this may be more of a me-issue than the book's fault.
I can't quite put my finger on why, but this did not start off on the right foot for me. I found the beginning kind of confusing with all the different names mentioned, and something about the writing style didn't entirely mesh with me either, even though I've enjoyed other books by this author before.
I did eventually get used to it, but even then, the plot wasn't all that exciting to me. Matti and Luca start off in an antagonistic way but then quickly settling into a mututally benefitial arrangement with plenty of banter and attraction was fun, but not all too much exciting. They did also clearly not trust each other, and maybe that's also why I wasn't that invested into them. The plot around Matti's family debts, his upcoming wedding, and the uncovering of a conspiracy against his family also wasn't super engaging, though also not boring.
What changed the game for me was when Luca's past finally caught up with him. It's clear from the start that he is running from something, but he mostly successfully hides it from both Matti and the reader- until his past catches up with him, and everything comes crashing down. That was a huge turning point for me in the book, and the fact that it forces both character to be honest and face the truth of what they really want VS. their obligations made me truly care about them for the first time.
I felt like at that point the side characters were also more involved. The plot and romance culminates in a beautifully exciting climax that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was dramatic and a bit over-the-top, but very satisfying and indulgent. I enjoyed both the personal relationship developments, the conclusion of the character arcs, as well as how the political intrigue ends up.
This was overall a very feel good read to me.
I know some people feel iffy about the fact that the romance between Luca and Matti happens while Matti is engaged to another. The topic of cheating or open relationships is not discussed in the book, but there are never any hurt feelings or broken obligations or promises.
My personal biggest complaint was that I couldn't always follow all the names of the individual houses and characters - but this may be becauses I read it in audio, where I sometimes struggle with processing names, so this may be more of a me-issue than the book's fault.
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Gay romance with a baking competition background, general anxiety disorder rep, and extremely unafraid to get messy!
Content warnings include: anxiety, cyberbullying, panic attack, racism, religious ignorance. Content warnings cal be found at the beginning of the book.
I truly do admire Alexis Hall for how unafraid of messyness they are. I don't think I've read such a terrible first date in, well, ever.
As such, the romance in this book is far from linear. With plenty of ups and downs. And it's not because either character is a bad person. They are just both not perfect, and make mistakes. I also really admire them for being able to talk about those mistakes, because my god that is so hard. I certainly couldn't have handled it in their shoes.
The baking competition was delightful, as in the first book in the series (which you don't have to read before this one!) but at the same time it was also totally different through Paris's eyes. I really appreciated that. I also enjoyed that this time around, we also got to see the reactions to all the aired episodes, even though the reality of social media reactions to reality TV was... ouch.
The anxiety rep really hit hard. I can't entirely speak for the accuracy, but it was certainly executed in a way that I truly felt for Paris.
Despite this, the humor was never far away, and plenty of scenes made me smile. The one thing I found incongruous at times was how Paris's anxiety and humor went together - or rather how they didn't go together. With how anxious Paris is, I wondered how he would be fine with making some of the jokes he makes, since he overthinks literally everything else. Maybe that was done for levity, maybe humor just works differently for him.
Overall a lovely book, and I can't wait to return to the series with the next book.
Content warnings include: anxiety, cyberbullying, panic attack, racism, religious ignorance. Content warnings cal be found at the beginning of the book.
I truly do admire Alexis Hall for how unafraid of messyness they are. I don't think I've read such a terrible first date in, well, ever.
As such, the romance in this book is far from linear. With plenty of ups and downs. And it's not because either character is a bad person. They are just both not perfect, and make mistakes. I also really admire them for being able to talk about those mistakes, because my god that is so hard. I certainly couldn't have handled it in their shoes.
The baking competition was delightful, as in the first book in the series (which you don't have to read before this one!) but at the same time it was also totally different through Paris's eyes. I really appreciated that. I also enjoyed that this time around, we also got to see the reactions to all the aired episodes, even though the reality of social media reactions to reality TV was... ouch.
The anxiety rep really hit hard. I can't entirely speak for the accuracy, but it was certainly executed in a way that I truly felt for Paris.
Despite this, the humor was never far away, and plenty of scenes made me smile. The one thing I found incongruous at times was how Paris's anxiety and humor went together - or rather how they didn't go together. With how anxious Paris is, I wondered how he would be fine with making some of the jokes he makes, since he overthinks literally everything else. Maybe that was done for levity, maybe humor just works differently for him.
Overall a lovely book, and I can't wait to return to the series with the next book.
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
A great series ends...
Content warnings include: starvation, violence, war, graphic injury, kidnapping, imprisonment, threat of execution, insubordination, semi-explicit sex on-page, duelling, character gets shot, sexual harassment and assault.
Not gonna lie, there were several times when I thought this would go dreadfully south and ruin the series for me, but THANKFULLY it always managed to avoid disaster and turned out surprisingly well!
While I overall did enjoy the book and do think it's a well deserved ending of the series, in some ways it was sorely lacking.
I have three particular complaints:
1) Unresolved plotthreads. Especially in the last few books several things happened that, while mostly fun to read, didn't really seem to follow any particular reason or have any purpose or advance the story. I had hoped these threads to be picked up and tied neatly in League of Dragons but that didn't happen, or only in a very flimsy fashion.
2) Plotholes. There were a few things that made me scratch my head and wonder how they could come to be, and while I was mostly ready to excuse them there was one that was just glaring the entire time. Something that directly contradicts what had happened a chapter before and there was zero explanation offered. It almost felt like an entire scene or even a chapter was cut, creating a, well, hole in the middle of the story, leaving the ending of one and the beginning of the next chapter wholly unconnected.
3) Timeskips. I noticed this happening in a few of the books in the second half of the series already, where scenes spanning weeks or even entire months were simply skipped. For the most part I understand that - Temeraire & crew travel A LOT, and there is only so much adventure on the road that can be exciting, especially when nothing of import was supposed to happen.
In League of Dragons however, not just travelling but entire fights and discussions were skipped - which I can also, for the most part, excuse, because similar to the travelling, reading the same maneuvers and argument over and over again can be tiring. Which is all fine and good - but to skip the entire final battle that brings down the one big enemy, the moment the protagonists have been working towards for nine books?
That's a BOLD move, that, while not ruining it entirely, does leave me feeling perplexed and robbed of a certain kind of satisfaction.
Another thing, which is more something I notice now in hindsight that while reading, is that I'm disappointed in the (lack of) advancement in the personal relationships of the characters. The series has never paid much attention to any sort of relationship outside the one between dragon and captain, and isn't very big on the internal feelings of the characters either, but part of me still expected there to be more happening on an interpersonal level. There were even hints to some of the characters getting closer than they had been previously, but all of that led to nothing.
While I would have wished for a longer epilogue that went into detail about various characters' fates in the future, the ending was nevertheless satisfying without limiting the reader's imagination for the future.
So this was a fun read and I had a pretty good time with it, but overall it felt very unstructured and lacked the pleasant coherence and tight plotlines from the first few books.
I truly adore this series. It's brutal and heart-breaking at times, but also hilarious in its subtly situational humor, with lovable characters and interesting worldbuilding in the form on integrating dragons into actual historical events and various cultures.
I cannot speak on the accuracy of the historical events, persons and cultures but they were for the most part portrayed believably and respectfully, though the British approach often made me cringe, even while the protagonists do not approve of it.
Content warnings include: starvation, violence, war, graphic injury, kidnapping, imprisonment, threat of execution, insubordination, semi-explicit sex on-page, duelling, character gets shot, sexual harassment and assault.
Not gonna lie, there were several times when I thought this would go dreadfully south and ruin the series for me, but THANKFULLY it always managed to avoid disaster and turned out surprisingly well!
While I overall did enjoy the book and do think it's a well deserved ending of the series, in some ways it was sorely lacking.
I have three particular complaints:
1) Unresolved plotthreads. Especially in the last few books several things happened that, while mostly fun to read, didn't really seem to follow any particular reason or have any purpose or advance the story. I had hoped these threads to be picked up and tied neatly in League of Dragons but that didn't happen, or only in a very flimsy fashion.
2) Plotholes. There were a few things that made me scratch my head and wonder how they could come to be, and while I was mostly ready to excuse them there was one that was just glaring the entire time. Something that directly contradicts what had happened a chapter before and there was zero explanation offered. It almost felt like an entire scene or even a chapter was cut, creating a, well, hole in the middle of the story, leaving the ending of one and the beginning of the next chapter wholly unconnected.
3) Timeskips. I noticed this happening in a few of the books in the second half of the series already, where scenes spanning weeks or even entire months were simply skipped. For the most part I understand that - Temeraire & crew travel A LOT, and there is only so much adventure on the road that can be exciting, especially when nothing of import was supposed to happen.
In League of Dragons however, not just travelling but entire fights and discussions were skipped - which I can also, for the most part, excuse, because similar to the travelling, reading the same maneuvers and argument over and over again can be tiring. Which is all fine and good - but to skip the entire final battle that brings down the one big enemy, the moment the protagonists have been working towards for nine books?
That's a BOLD move, that, while not ruining it entirely, does leave me feeling perplexed and robbed of a certain kind of satisfaction.
Another thing, which is more something I notice now in hindsight that while reading, is that I'm disappointed in the (lack of) advancement in the personal relationships of the characters. The series has never paid much attention to any sort of relationship outside the one between dragon and captain, and isn't very big on the internal feelings of the characters either, but part of me still expected there to be more happening on an interpersonal level. There were even hints to some of the characters getting closer than they had been previously, but all of that led to nothing.
While I would have wished for a longer epilogue that went into detail about various characters' fates in the future, the ending was nevertheless satisfying without limiting the reader's imagination for the future.
So this was a fun read and I had a pretty good time with it, but overall it felt very unstructured and lacked the pleasant coherence and tight plotlines from the first few books.
I truly adore this series. It's brutal and heart-breaking at times, but also hilarious in its subtly situational humor, with lovable characters and interesting worldbuilding in the form on integrating dragons into actual historical events and various cultures.
I cannot speak on the accuracy of the historical events, persons and cultures but they were for the most part portrayed believably and respectfully, though the British approach often made me cringe, even while the protagonists do not approve of it.
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fun and upbeat romance with a wholesome baking competition backdrop and some nice character development.
Content warnings include: sexual assault, classism, biphobia.
I am really glad I did not read the official description of this book. I really enjoyed that I didn't know what was gonna happen, and this way the book successfully played with my expectations and I came to my own slow realization about what's gonna happen, which I always love! It's a rewarding experience, and this way I could appreciate the skillful writing even more than if I had known about it from the start - so, yeah, I recommend not reading the description.
Instead, if baking competition, bisexual single mom protagonist, and gaining self-confidence arcs sounds like something you'd enjoy, give it a go!
Nevertheless, I wasn't too pleased with the way the book started. I hate the "character coming up with a ridiculous lie for no reason and then keeps it up for way too long" trope, even if it tied into the overarching character development arc. It still felt very silly to me.
I also found some of the ways the main character stood up for herself very... grating. I can't put my finger on why, because I am totally in favour of calling out casual biphobia or sexist double standarts, or just standing up for oneself and one's preferences. But something about the way she went about it just felt off to me. I can't describe it. Maybe it's some internalized prejudice I have?
Thankfully, the book evened out pretty quickly, and I came to really enjoy the main cast. Rosaline and her friends are quite lovely, and I really enjoyed the themes of acceptance and growing confident in oneself!
That said, some interactions are very frustrating - but they are supposed to be, and part of Rosaline's growth and realisation that some people just can't be helped. There was never a feeling of futility, and a happy ending was always in sight.
As such, I also really appreciated how the happy ending felt very realistic. It was not over-the-top, but a very grounded happiness, which I enjoyed.
Overall this was not a perfect read for me in terms of characterization, dialogue and some minor plot choices, but I loved the baking competition backdrop. That part of the book was very wholesome!
Despite the content warnings, the book is also quite humorous, and while some of the jokes were a bit too surreal for me, I still had a good time, and it was never dark.
Content warnings include: sexual assault, classism, biphobia.
I am really glad I did not read the official description of this book. I really enjoyed that I didn't know what was gonna happen, and this way the book successfully played with my expectations and I came to my own slow realization about what's gonna happen, which I always love! It's a rewarding experience, and this way I could appreciate the skillful writing even more than if I had known about it from the start - so, yeah, I recommend not reading the description.
Instead, if baking competition, bisexual single mom protagonist, and gaining self-confidence arcs sounds like something you'd enjoy, give it a go!
Nevertheless, I wasn't too pleased with the way the book started. I hate the "character coming up with a ridiculous lie for no reason and then keeps it up for way too long" trope, even if it tied into the overarching character development arc. It still felt very silly to me.
I also found some of the ways the main character stood up for herself very... grating. I can't put my finger on why, because I am totally in favour of calling out casual biphobia or sexist double standarts, or just standing up for oneself and one's preferences. But something about the way she went about it just felt off to me. I can't describe it. Maybe it's some internalized prejudice I have?
Thankfully, the book evened out pretty quickly, and I came to really enjoy the main cast. Rosaline and her friends are quite lovely, and I really enjoyed the themes of acceptance and growing confident in oneself!
That said, some interactions are very frustrating - but they are supposed to be, and part of Rosaline's growth and realisation that some people just can't be helped. There was never a feeling of futility, and a happy ending was always in sight.
As such, I also really appreciated how the happy ending felt very realistic. It was not over-the-top, but a very grounded happiness, which I enjoyed.
Overall this was not a perfect read for me in terms of characterization, dialogue and some minor plot choices, but I loved the baking competition backdrop. That part of the book was very wholesome!
Despite the content warnings, the book is also quite humorous, and while some of the jokes were a bit too surreal for me, I still had a good time, and it was never dark.
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
A lovely queer heist novel.
Check out the full review and more on the blog!
I can definitely see the comparison to Ocean's 8 with this one, though in my opinion it has very little to do with Gideon the Ninth other than both share a butch main character. With Blade Runner it shares the cyberpunk aspect, though Hammajang Luck, while still playing in a capitalist hellhole setting, is nowhere near as bleak. I found this to overall be a rather positive and upbeat book that makes you feel good while reading.
Despite this being a heist novel, this felt almost low stakes. Thus I find the Ocean's 8 comparison much more fitting than Six of Crows, simply due to the humorous tone and how things just simply... work out, with very little pushback. There is still tension, near misses, and high octance scenes that will get you excited while reading! I just never got the "omg I have no idea how they could possibly get out of this" feeling. Instead, it's more celebratory, triumphant adrenaline of watching the characters overcome the obstacles and succeed.
Plot-wise, the book is pretty straightforward. Edie is released from prison, and the very person who betrayed them is now looking to hire them for a job again. But with a family to support, and a big payout at the end of it, and few alternatives, Edie finds themselves agreeing. There's a crew to recruit, bait to lay out, traps to plan, routes to prepare, and finally, the big heist.
There were no big surprises or big twists, though it wasn't exactly predictable, and never boring. Just nothing groundbreaking new, which is perfectly fine!
I really enjoyed the side characters. The final crew was diverse and fun with multiple trans and nonbinary characters of different varieties (some directly referred to as Māhū), and I really enjoyed reading their banter. I almost wish we had learned more about the dynamics within the crew, as ultimately it didn't go very deep. The Hawaiian Pidgin was new to me but a lot of fun to read!
Where the book was underwhelming for me was the romance. I generally found Angel to be one of the weakest characters. She is cold and standoffish, keeping up the image of the unflappable leader, which unfortunately also meant we never really got to glimpse behind the mask. And the few glimpses and honest open conversations were too little too late for me - or rather they just weren't enough for me to believe the romance from it.
Another aspect is how Edie's prison time feels almost forgotten a lot of the time. Eight years is long. And yet they are still considered to be one of the best "runners", meaning able to make their way through the dangerous, impassable corridors of the station. When they haven't been doing it for eight years??? SO much must have changed??? And then they have 2 heart-to-heart conversations with the childhood friend who sold them out, and they are in love and all is well and nothing changed??? It unfortunately broke my suspension of disbelief.
Overall this was a lighthearted read with some pleasant action. It didn't wow me, but it was fun and entertaining depite its flaws.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Check out the full review and more on the blog!
I can definitely see the comparison to Ocean's 8 with this one, though in my opinion it has very little to do with Gideon the Ninth other than both share a butch main character. With Blade Runner it shares the cyberpunk aspect, though Hammajang Luck, while still playing in a capitalist hellhole setting, is nowhere near as bleak. I found this to overall be a rather positive and upbeat book that makes you feel good while reading.
Despite this being a heist novel, this felt almost low stakes. Thus I find the Ocean's 8 comparison much more fitting than Six of Crows, simply due to the humorous tone and how things just simply... work out, with very little pushback. There is still tension, near misses, and high octance scenes that will get you excited while reading! I just never got the "omg I have no idea how they could possibly get out of this" feeling. Instead, it's more celebratory, triumphant adrenaline of watching the characters overcome the obstacles and succeed.
Plot-wise, the book is pretty straightforward. Edie is released from prison, and the very person who betrayed them is now looking to hire them for a job again. But with a family to support, and a big payout at the end of it, and few alternatives, Edie finds themselves agreeing. There's a crew to recruit, bait to lay out, traps to plan, routes to prepare, and finally, the big heist.
There were no big surprises or big twists, though it wasn't exactly predictable, and never boring. Just nothing groundbreaking new, which is perfectly fine!
I really enjoyed the side characters. The final crew was diverse and fun with multiple trans and nonbinary characters of different varieties (some directly referred to as Māhū), and I really enjoyed reading their banter. I almost wish we had learned more about the dynamics within the crew, as ultimately it didn't go very deep. The Hawaiian Pidgin was new to me but a lot of fun to read!
Where the book was underwhelming for me was the romance. I generally found Angel to be one of the weakest characters. She is cold and standoffish, keeping up the image of the unflappable leader, which unfortunately also meant we never really got to glimpse behind the mask. And the few glimpses and honest open conversations were too little too late for me - or rather they just weren't enough for me to believe the romance from it.
Another aspect is how Edie's prison time feels almost forgotten a lot of the time. Eight years is long. And yet they are still considered to be one of the best "runners", meaning able to make their way through the dangerous, impassable corridors of the station. When they haven't been doing it for eight years??? SO much must have changed??? And then they have 2 heart-to-heart conversations with the childhood friend who sold them out, and they are in love and all is well and nothing changed??? It unfortunately broke my suspension of disbelief.
Overall this was a lighthearted read with some pleasant action. It didn't wow me, but it was fun and entertaining depite its flaws.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I'm a simple guy, I see "sapphic monster romance" and I wanna read it instantly.
Read this review and more on the blog!
This was so instantly atmospheric, in how its written an its overall energy. I'm not sure I can quite describe why - I think part of it was that it is a translation (from the Portugese original).
Either way, it worked wonders for the feelings and vibes the writing was able to invoke. The book also used a bit of simple yet effective text formatting to make some scenes (or certain repeated events) more impactful.
Overall this was a simple story about one of the employees working for a spider-like monster who lives in a reclusive manor. Dália has been training to become the keeper of the keys ever since she was brought to the manor as an orphaned child, and when her predecessor is eaten, it's time for her to step up and finally interact personally with the Madam, who is quite capricious in her moods and temper.
A theft, as well as attraction between staff as well as the Madam herself, complicate things for Dália.
I would have loved to read more of these characters, but this worked perfectly as a novella, too.
Some things I found a bit confusing/ not as smoothly established or fitting to the narrative, but maybe that was my fault for not getting the hints.
The romance is present but not overpowering, and things overall happen pretty fast, so this is an easy unsettling read that I greatly enjoyed!
One thing I will say: I have not read Mexican Gothic, so I cannot judge that, but I do not see how this compares to The Shape of Water at all? So don't bank too heavily on that.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Read this review and more on the blog!
This was so instantly atmospheric, in how its written an its overall energy. I'm not sure I can quite describe why - I think part of it was that it is a translation (from the Portugese original).
Either way, it worked wonders for the feelings and vibes the writing was able to invoke. The book also used a bit of simple yet effective text formatting to make some scenes (or certain repeated events) more impactful.
Overall this was a simple story about one of the employees working for a spider-like monster who lives in a reclusive manor. Dália has been training to become the keeper of the keys ever since she was brought to the manor as an orphaned child, and when her predecessor is eaten, it's time for her to step up and finally interact personally with the Madam, who is quite capricious in her moods and temper.
A theft, as well as attraction between staff as well as the Madam herself, complicate things for Dália.
I would have loved to read more of these characters, but this worked perfectly as a novella, too.
Some things I found a bit confusing/ not as smoothly established or fitting to the narrative, but maybe that was my fault for not getting the hints.
The romance is present but not overpowering, and things overall happen pretty fast, so this is an easy unsettling read that I greatly enjoyed!
One thing I will say: I have not read Mexican Gothic, so I cannot judge that, but I do not see how this compares to The Shape of Water at all? So don't bank too heavily on that.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I wanted something lighthearted, easy and fun to read that still hit all the cool-premise buttons, and this absolutely did all of that!
Read this review and more on the blog!
Starter Villain is not really part of the whole superhero genre. At least it did not hit those buttons for me. Part of that is because there are no superheros. And I'd argue there aren't really any classical "villains" either, despite the title.
Instead the book is about a normal, down-on-his-luck guy who suddenly inherits his estranged uncle's empire. And empire that happens to include some less-than-savoury services. He also inherited the interest (and assassination attempts) from a whole bunch of equally unsavory business men and their henchmen.
The two main appeals of this book (to me) were Charlie navigating his new position, and the animals.
Watching Charlie take in all the absurdity his uncle left behind and try to work out what to do was just so much fun. It helped that Charlie was smart and kept surprising both me and his adversaries, while still remaining entirely ordinary. Just some guy, if you will.
Part of his uncle's empire includes genetically engineered animals. I don't think it's a spoiler to say the cats play a central role, though I won't give away more. Just that a labor disupte is involved and I loved it.
(Also, cats are class traitors.)
Something I already noticed and appreciated in The Kaiju Preservation Society was how Scalzi manages to keep the tone of the book lighthearted and fun despite handling some serious topics and un-fun thing happening on-page. This was done masterfully here in Starter Villain too. Despite death and threats and assassinations, as well as life changing and dreading events, the book is never dark. There is always humor, there is always hope, and the protagonists winning and a guaranteed happy ending are never out of sight. All while there is still tension and excitement.
It admittedly doesn't make for the most emotional read - it's just not that deep. But it makes it absolutely perfect when I want something easy, something, fun, something quick as a palate cleanser of when I am in a reading slump. And I really really appreciate that. It feels like a comfortable blanket, warm scented candle and hot tea on a cold and rainy day.
Another thing I appreciated was that while this overall is rather cis white straight man, the author seems to be at least somewhat aware of that - a self awareness that occasionally comes through on page, which also gave me a certain amount of comfort to read, if that makes sense?
Overall just super enjoyable!
Read this review and more on the blog!
Starter Villain is not really part of the whole superhero genre. At least it did not hit those buttons for me. Part of that is because there are no superheros. And I'd argue there aren't really any classical "villains" either, despite the title.
Instead the book is about a normal, down-on-his-luck guy who suddenly inherits his estranged uncle's empire. And empire that happens to include some less-than-savoury services. He also inherited the interest (and assassination attempts) from a whole bunch of equally unsavory business men and their henchmen.
The two main appeals of this book (to me) were Charlie navigating his new position, and the animals.
Watching Charlie take in all the absurdity his uncle left behind and try to work out what to do was just so much fun. It helped that Charlie was smart and kept surprising both me and his adversaries, while still remaining entirely ordinary. Just some guy, if you will.
Part of his uncle's empire includes genetically engineered animals. I don't think it's a spoiler to say the cats play a central role, though I won't give away more. Just that a labor disupte is involved and I loved it.
(Also, cats are class traitors.)
Something I already noticed and appreciated in The Kaiju Preservation Society was how Scalzi manages to keep the tone of the book lighthearted and fun despite handling some serious topics and un-fun thing happening on-page. This was done masterfully here in Starter Villain too. Despite death and threats and assassinations, as well as life changing and dreading events, the book is never dark. There is always humor, there is always hope, and the protagonists winning and a guaranteed happy ending are never out of sight. All while there is still tension and excitement.
It admittedly doesn't make for the most emotional read - it's just not that deep. But it makes it absolutely perfect when I want something easy, something, fun, something quick as a palate cleanser of when I am in a reading slump. And I really really appreciate that. It feels like a comfortable blanket, warm scented candle and hot tea on a cold and rainy day.
Another thing I appreciated was that while this overall is rather cis white straight man, the author seems to be at least somewhat aware of that - a self awareness that occasionally comes through on page, which also gave me a certain amount of comfort to read, if that makes sense?
Overall just super enjoyable!
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fun horror book with an inventive design hook.
Read this review and more on the blog
Content warnings include: graphic injury, torture, bodily fluids; Mentions of: homelessness, lack of job security, debt, harmful psychiatric institutions.
A lot of the appeal of this book comes from its design: It looks like a certain furniture store catalogue, and even has little order slips and item design descriptions and illustrations inside, as well as maps and employee entries and more. I particularly enjoyed all the corporate identity stuff and slogans for this fictional store called ORSK. "Any questions, just ORSK!" was genius.
I will say that due to this design resembling a catalogue so much, I found the physical copy a bit hard to read. It was so... floppy, and therefore uncomfortable to hold.
I still finished it in one day though.
The plot takes a while to take off. I will admit that I for quite a while I thought this would be one of those books that get widely labelled horror, just to ultimately be more mystery or thriller with some vague spooky elements.
But ho boy, I was wrong, this is definitely horror! And when the horror parts took off, they did not let up.
Which leads me to believe that the slow beginning was an intentional misleading, a calm before the storm, as well as establishing characters and relationships. It worked for me, though I think some more bits to keep it interesting and feel relevant could have been helpful.
The setting at the furniture store was a lot of fun. I mostly know it from stuff like SCP/Backrooms, but to read it in traditional book format was a lot of fun. I think that generally is my main emotion about the book: fun! It was not particularly innovative, neither with the setting or the plot twists, but I found it immensly enjoyable.
I also really liked the writing style, in that it was super easy to read (I read most of the book in one sitting) and it really made all of what was happening play out like a movie in my head. Which, actually, this book would be GREAT for a movie adaption. Why hasn't that happened yet??
Another fun detail was that IKEA actually exists in this setting - ORSK is just an even cheaper competitor.
Lastly, it added a nice chunk of capitalist and corporate critique, which I always love to see in a horror book. "Corporate horror" suits it quite well.
Read this review and more on the blog
Content warnings include: graphic injury, torture, bodily fluids; Mentions of: homelessness, lack of job security, debt, harmful psychiatric institutions.
A lot of the appeal of this book comes from its design: It looks like a certain furniture store catalogue, and even has little order slips and item design descriptions and illustrations inside, as well as maps and employee entries and more. I particularly enjoyed all the corporate identity stuff and slogans for this fictional store called ORSK. "Any questions, just ORSK!" was genius.
I will say that due to this design resembling a catalogue so much, I found the physical copy a bit hard to read. It was so... floppy, and therefore uncomfortable to hold.
I still finished it in one day though.
The plot takes a while to take off. I will admit that I for quite a while I thought this would be one of those books that get widely labelled horror, just to ultimately be more mystery or thriller with some vague spooky elements.
But ho boy, I was wrong, this is definitely horror! And when the horror parts took off, they did not let up.
Which leads me to believe that the slow beginning was an intentional misleading, a calm before the storm, as well as establishing characters and relationships. It worked for me, though I think some more bits to keep it interesting and feel relevant could have been helpful.
The setting at the furniture store was a lot of fun. I mostly know it from stuff like SCP/Backrooms, but to read it in traditional book format was a lot of fun. I think that generally is my main emotion about the book: fun! It was not particularly innovative, neither with the setting or the plot twists, but I found it immensly enjoyable.
I also really liked the writing style, in that it was super easy to read (I read most of the book in one sitting) and it really made all of what was happening play out like a movie in my head. Which, actually, this book would be GREAT for a movie adaption. Why hasn't that happened yet??
Another fun detail was that IKEA actually exists in this setting - ORSK is just an even cheaper competitor.
Lastly, it added a nice chunk of capitalist and corporate critique, which I always love to see in a horror book. "Corporate horror" suits it quite well.