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227 reviews
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
While everyone’s been gushing over The Seven Year Slip, I’ve had my eye on Heart of Iron, a YA space opera inspired by the story of Anastasia. My library’s website kept showing it as “on the shelf,” but it wasn’t there! I probably should have asked someone about it, but I didn’t. Anyway, the audiobook finally showed up on Hoopla, so I grabbed that last week and had a great time listening to the book!
The 90s animated Anastasia movie was one of my favorites and I still watch it sometimes. But with the addition of the metals and their mysterious history, there’s a whole lot more here than just “Anastasia in space.” It also deferred from the typical format of the story a bit. It wasn’t just a retelling, it was a complete reimagining, with nods to the original, and I really liked that. I love a good reimagining of a classic tale, when I already know the gist of it, but am still surprised by important details.
There’s a very sweet romantic relationship between two of the MMCs. They probably fell for each other a little quickly, but I remember being a teenager and you pretty much fall in with love anyone who makes eye contact with you for longer than 45 seconds so… it’s realistic.
And Ana’s friendship with D09 (known as Di) – oh man. It is worth it to read this book just for their relationship alone. Like, it took me a while to get into the book, but what kept me going was Ana and Di’s friendship. By the time I was invested in the rest of the book, I was double, triple invested in Ana and Di. By the end? Clamoring for the the next book (it’s a duology). I care about everyone else and about the fate of the kingdom but not nearly as much as I care about Ana and Di.
The narrator of the audiobook, Adenrele Ojo, was amazing at doing different voices for all the characters, especially Di, who, as a metal, has a robotic voice. My only complaint is that at one point, she randomly changed pronunciation of the name of a side character. She’d been pronouncing it one way for a while, switched and said it another way 3-4 times, and then went back to the original pronunciation. The name is a fantasy name I don’t even know how to spell, so her pronunciations were different enough that it threw me off. Other than that, she was great!
4.0
While everyone’s been gushing over The Seven Year Slip, I’ve had my eye on Heart of Iron, a YA space opera inspired by the story of Anastasia. My library’s website kept showing it as “on the shelf,” but it wasn’t there! I probably should have asked someone about it, but I didn’t. Anyway, the audiobook finally showed up on Hoopla, so I grabbed that last week and had a great time listening to the book!
The 90s animated Anastasia movie was one of my favorites and I still watch it sometimes. But with the addition of the metals and their mysterious history, there’s a whole lot more here than just “Anastasia in space.” It also deferred from the typical format of the story a bit. It wasn’t just a retelling, it was a complete reimagining, with nods to the original, and I really liked that. I love a good reimagining of a classic tale, when I already know the gist of it, but am still surprised by important details.
There’s a very sweet romantic relationship between two of the MMCs. They probably fell for each other a little quickly, but I remember being a teenager and you pretty much fall in with love anyone who makes eye contact with you for longer than 45 seconds so… it’s realistic.
And Ana’s friendship with D09 (known as Di) – oh man. It is worth it to read this book just for their relationship alone. Like, it took me a while to get into the book, but what kept me going was Ana and Di’s friendship. By the time I was invested in the rest of the book, I was double, triple invested in Ana and Di. By the end? Clamoring for the the next book (it’s a duology). I care about everyone else and about the fate of the kingdom but not nearly as much as I care about Ana and Di.
The narrator of the audiobook, Adenrele Ojo, was amazing at doing different voices for all the characters, especially Di, who, as a metal, has a robotic voice. My only complaint is that at one point, she randomly changed pronunciation of the name of a side character. She’d been pronouncing it one way for a while, switched and said it another way 3-4 times, and then went back to the original pronunciation. The name is a fantasy name I don’t even know how to spell, so her pronunciations were different enough that it threw me off. Other than that, she was great!
Key Lime Sky by Al Hess
5.0
Key Lime Sky’s blend of sci-fi, mystery, and autistic representation truly made for a compelling and refreshing read. This is my favorite kind of sci-fi, soft and cozy rather than hard, easy to get into and understand. And the importance of acceptance, understanding, and self-discovery are beautifully woven throughout a story that is honestly kind of alarming at times (it is about an alien invasion, after all)!
Denver is both autistic and nonbinary (xe goes by any pronouns but mentions that xe prefers xe/xem [which I don’t see in books very often!] so I’ll use those – I’ve never used them before and I looked it up but please forgive any mistakes and feel free to correct me). Xe is such a well-crafted character. I love xyr sense of humor and I can only dream of being as good at writing reviews as xe is. Xyr autism isn’t the most important part of xem, but it’s an important aspect of Denver’s life, so it’s a big part of the book. Al Hess is autistic himself, so I know and appreciate that Denver’s autistic traits are portrayed with both accuracy and sensitivity.
As for the plot itself: hell. yeah. I love a good alien invasion and Al Hess did a fantastic job setting the scene for unique story with a resolution I absolutely did not see coming. Alien invasions are serious business and it could be quite tense at times, so the different kind of tension we get from Denver and Ezra’s budding romantic relationship is extra welcome. I also liked that Denver isn’t the only one to struggle with acceptance, as Ezra and the other townspeople also have pasts and insecurities they have to work through.
I knew I’d like Key Lime Sky when I read the blurb, but I loved it even more than I expected I would and I was really happy to read a good book with an autistic character that feels realistic, instead of just a caricature, as it’s essential to have more stories like this that showcase diverse experiences in an appropriate way and promote empathy and understanding. Just a little advice though: when you read this book, make sure you have some pie handy, because Denver is going to make you want some.
Denver is both autistic and nonbinary (xe goes by any pronouns but mentions that xe prefers xe/xem [which I don’t see in books very often!] so I’ll use those – I’ve never used them before and I looked it up but please forgive any mistakes and feel free to correct me). Xe is such a well-crafted character. I love xyr sense of humor and I can only dream of being as good at writing reviews as xe is. Xyr autism isn’t the most important part of xem, but it’s an important aspect of Denver’s life, so it’s a big part of the book. Al Hess is autistic himself, so I know and appreciate that Denver’s autistic traits are portrayed with both accuracy and sensitivity.
As for the plot itself: hell. yeah. I love a good alien invasion and Al Hess did a fantastic job setting the scene for unique story with a resolution I absolutely did not see coming. Alien invasions are serious business and it could be quite tense at times, so the different kind of tension we get from Denver and Ezra’s budding romantic relationship is extra welcome. I also liked that Denver isn’t the only one to struggle with acceptance, as Ezra and the other townspeople also have pasts and insecurities they have to work through.
I knew I’d like Key Lime Sky when I read the blurb, but I loved it even more than I expected I would and I was really happy to read a good book with an autistic character that feels realistic, instead of just a caricature, as it’s essential to have more stories like this that showcase diverse experiences in an appropriate way and promote empathy and understanding. Just a little advice though: when you read this book, make sure you have some pie handy, because Denver is going to make you want some.
The Default World by Naomi Kanakia
4.0
I’d like to thank Wunderkind PR for sending me an ARC of The Default World from Feminist Press. These opinions are my own.
The Default World takes an extremely raw, honest look at the struggles of Jhanvi, a trans woman so desperate for gender affirming surgeries that she will do anything. She’s willing to compromise her morals and lose herself completely if it means she will look the way she feels and finally be accepted for who she is. Reading this book and thinking about how real these feelings are for so many people is absolutely heartbreaking, and I couldn’t help but root for Jhanvi even though she was an anti-heroine who lied to and manipulated the people around her.
Of course, it helped that the people around her were mostly garbage. One of my favorite things about The Default World is that it highlights the extreme hypocrisy of performative activists. People who are typically privileged, rich, white, and pretend to care about underprivileged people while they actually look down on them. They are very loudly offended on behalf of marginalized groups (even when asked not to be) and they say all kinds of pretty things but when it comes down to actually helping someone in need, they suddenly have all kinds of excuses. It’s slacktivism at its finest, and Naomi Kanakia calls it out brilliantly.
I fully enjoyed The Default World as a work of fiction, but it also taught me so much more than I knew about the trans experience. Jhanvi read like a very real person, and being inside her head was eye-opening. This book has absolutely inspired be to look into more nonfiction on the subject.
The Default World takes an extremely raw, honest look at the struggles of Jhanvi, a trans woman so desperate for gender affirming surgeries that she will do anything. She’s willing to compromise her morals and lose herself completely if it means she will look the way she feels and finally be accepted for who she is. Reading this book and thinking about how real these feelings are for so many people is absolutely heartbreaking, and I couldn’t help but root for Jhanvi even though she was an anti-heroine who lied to and manipulated the people around her.
Of course, it helped that the people around her were mostly garbage. One of my favorite things about The Default World is that it highlights the extreme hypocrisy of performative activists. People who are typically privileged, rich, white, and pretend to care about underprivileged people while they actually look down on them. They are very loudly offended on behalf of marginalized groups (even when asked not to be) and they say all kinds of pretty things but when it comes down to actually helping someone in need, they suddenly have all kinds of excuses. It’s slacktivism at its finest, and Naomi Kanakia calls it out brilliantly.
I fully enjoyed The Default World as a work of fiction, but it also taught me so much more than I knew about the trans experience. Jhanvi read like a very real person, and being inside her head was eye-opening. This book has absolutely inspired be to look into more nonfiction on the subject.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
5.0
I love Someone You Can Build a Nest In. It’s not just a new favorite book, it’s my favorite love story of all time. All. Time. And I will never stop recommending it to everyone who makes eye contact with me.
I’ve seen this book categorized as both horror and dark fantasy but it does feel like horror to me. Horror-romance. Hormance? It’s similar to the cozy horror of Rachel Harrison, and I love her, so it really comes as no surprise that Someone You Can Build a Nest In is my jam, but I wasn’t expecting to fall in so deeply in love with it. I wasn’t expecting the true and beautiful LGBTQIA love (I believe at least Shesheshen is asexual, maybe Homily too but it’s not explicitly stated so I’m not positive and either way they’re both female), plus-size rep, unforgettable and ridiculously lovable characters, and an engrossing story full of action and emotion.
Shesheshen is one of the most interesting characters I’ve read in a long time. The rules of her monster body and how it worked were fascinating and her confusion over human behavior but ability to understand the most important things was strangely relatable. I love her so much, I didn’t want the book to end.
This was a library borrow, like most of my books (because lol money haha) but I am really looking forward to buying a copy at some point!
I’ve seen this book categorized as both horror and dark fantasy but it does feel like horror to me. Horror-romance. Hormance? It’s similar to the cozy horror of Rachel Harrison, and I love her, so it really comes as no surprise that Someone You Can Build a Nest In is my jam, but I wasn’t expecting to fall in so deeply in love with it. I wasn’t expecting the true and beautiful LGBTQIA love (I believe at least Shesheshen is asexual, maybe Homily too but it’s not explicitly stated so I’m not positive and either way they’re both female), plus-size rep, unforgettable and ridiculously lovable characters, and an engrossing story full of action and emotion.
Shesheshen is one of the most interesting characters I’ve read in a long time. The rules of her monster body and how it worked were fascinating and her confusion over human behavior but ability to understand the most important things was strangely relatable. I love her so much, I didn’t want the book to end.
This was a library borrow, like most of my books (because lol money haha) but I am really looking forward to buying a copy at some point!
Honey: A Novel by Isabel Banta
Of course, I want to talk about the audiobook, which was fantastic. Honey is written in first-person from Amber’s POV and the narrator, Brittany Pressley, either has the perfect voice or used the perfect voice for Amber. The lyrics to a few of Amber’s singles are in the book, and one of my favorite things about the audiobook is that when Pressley read the lyrics, there was pop music playing in the background. The music was different for each song and was really cool! It added so much to the listening experience, and to the book as a whole. I was fully immersed, even bobbing my head to the music a little. Because of this, I’m fully convinced the audio version is the best way to read Honey.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I’d like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, from whom I received an ALC of Honey (from Celadon Books) for review. All opinions are my own.
You can’t read the synopsis of Honey without thinking of Britney Spears. I was a young teenager when she became a household name. I wasn’t even a fan (I wasn’t allowed to listen to her music 😂), but I remember the constant rumors about her and the grown men on news channels arguing over whether or not she’d had a boob job and speculating on the status of her virginity. I remember how weird it made me feel about my own body, my own sexuality, and my own right to privacy when it came to those things.
Honey touches on those topics and more through the eyes of Amber Young, a teen pop star, as she rises from mediocrity to the kind of fame she’s always dreamed of. Although most of us have never been pop stars, many of us have been over-sexualized, treated like we are just our bodies, and it’s easy to relate to the way Amber feels when she’s treated that way by men. Part of me wishes Isabel Banta had gone a little deeper when it comes to the concepts of misogyny and exploitation in the music industry. There were instances of these things throughout the book, but it felt like they were just stated as facts rather than truly explored. But either way, I’m glad that the 90’s pop star experience wasn’t completely glossed over and glamorized.
While Amber deals with the disgusting problematic behavior of the men around her (and society in general), she also deals with a lot of internal struggle, including her desperate need to feel loved, and I imagine readers will relate to that very strongly. I enjoyed Amber’s journey and I like that the book covered the entirety of it. The inclusion of Amber’s friend and fellow pop star Gwen’s journey as well, though we didn’t get to see as much of it, was an excellent choice.
You can’t read the synopsis of Honey without thinking of Britney Spears. I was a young teenager when she became a household name. I wasn’t even a fan (I wasn’t allowed to listen to her music 😂), but I remember the constant rumors about her and the grown men on news channels arguing over whether or not she’d had a boob job and speculating on the status of her virginity. I remember how weird it made me feel about my own body, my own sexuality, and my own right to privacy when it came to those things.
Honey touches on those topics and more through the eyes of Amber Young, a teen pop star, as she rises from mediocrity to the kind of fame she’s always dreamed of. Although most of us have never been pop stars, many of us have been over-sexualized, treated like we are just our bodies, and it’s easy to relate to the way Amber feels when she’s treated that way by men. Part of me wishes Isabel Banta had gone a little deeper when it comes to the concepts of misogyny and exploitation in the music industry. There were instances of these things throughout the book, but it felt like they were just stated as facts rather than truly explored. But either way, I’m glad that the 90’s pop star experience wasn’t completely glossed over and glamorized.
While Amber deals with the disgusting problematic behavior of the men around her (and society in general), she also deals with a lot of internal struggle, including her desperate need to feel loved, and I imagine readers will relate to that very strongly. I enjoyed Amber’s journey and I like that the book covered the entirety of it. The inclusion of Amber’s friend and fellow pop star Gwen’s journey as well, though we didn’t get to see as much of it, was an excellent choice.
Of course, I want to talk about the audiobook, which was fantastic. Honey is written in first-person from Amber’s POV and the narrator, Brittany Pressley, either has the perfect voice or used the perfect voice for Amber. The lyrics to a few of Amber’s singles are in the book, and one of my favorite things about the audiobook is that when Pressley read the lyrics, there was pop music playing in the background. The music was different for each song and was really cool! It added so much to the listening experience, and to the book as a whole. I was fully immersed, even bobbing my head to the music a little. Because of this, I’m fully convinced the audio version is the best way to read Honey.
The Hunter's Gambit by Ciel Pierlot
I love the concept of The Hunter’s Gambit. The vampires are exactly as I imagine vampires would be. They live a life of opulence and they are truly vicious. Their annual mock coronation highlights their cruelty and disregard for human life and that aspect of the story is well-done and very effectively conveys the vampires’ callous nature.
I liked Kazan and was invested in her character, but I wish we had a better understanding of why she lies. I wanted to understand her better and I think the book could have benefited from a deeper exploration of her relationship with lying. At one point, she agrees to something, then changes her mind and apologizes for lying. But that wasn’t a deliberate attempt to deceive and I’d like to understand why she saw it as a lie. Otherwise, I loved how tenacious Kazan was and her defiance of the vampires and will to live in the face of incredible danger was admirable.
Adrius has a compelling backstory and his status among the vampires adds depth to his character, but I feel Reya could have been a little more developed, though I loved that she was a bit morally gray.
There was a spice scene that was several pages long but wasn’t as explicit as I thought it would be (because vampires are known for their debauchery) and personally, I liked that. It really worked for the story though and one of my favorite parts was that there was a question of consent/preferences before things got too hot and heavy.
Despite a couple personal issues I had the book, there are still aspects that resonated with me and made the story enjoyable, and I think complex world-building really makes The Hunter’s Gambit stand out.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
3.5
I’d like to thank both Net Galley and Angry Robot Books, from whom I received an ARC of The Hunter’s Gambit. These opinions are my own.
I love the concept of The Hunter’s Gambit. The vampires are exactly as I imagine vampires would be. They live a life of opulence and they are truly vicious. Their annual mock coronation highlights their cruelty and disregard for human life and that aspect of the story is well-done and very effectively conveys the vampires’ callous nature.
I liked Kazan and was invested in her character, but I wish we had a better understanding of why she lies. I wanted to understand her better and I think the book could have benefited from a deeper exploration of her relationship with lying. At one point, she agrees to something, then changes her mind and apologizes for lying. But that wasn’t a deliberate attempt to deceive and I’d like to understand why she saw it as a lie. Otherwise, I loved how tenacious Kazan was and her defiance of the vampires and will to live in the face of incredible danger was admirable.
Adrius has a compelling backstory and his status among the vampires adds depth to his character, but I feel Reya could have been a little more developed, though I loved that she was a bit morally gray.
There was a spice scene that was several pages long but wasn’t as explicit as I thought it would be (because vampires are known for their debauchery) and personally, I liked that. It really worked for the story though and one of my favorite parts was that there was a question of consent/preferences before things got too hot and heavy.
Despite a couple personal issues I had the book, there are still aspects that resonated with me and made the story enjoyable, and I think complex world-building really makes The Hunter’s Gambit stand out.
Elegy for the Undead by Matthew Vesely
The book isn’t really about zombies, it’s about Lyle and Jude – how they met, how they deal with difficulties within their relationship, and how they cope with Lyle’s ‘zombie’ diagnosis. Their love is a beautiful example of how messy, imperfect, and wonderful love can be.
I listened to the audiobook (by the way, I was unable to find either the ebook or audiobook through my local library, but it’s available through the Queer Liberation Library!), narrated by Daniel Henning and Charlie Thurston. Both Henning and Thurston did a great job with the narration. No complaints here!
I’d absolutely recommend this one even to people who aren’t huge fans of zombie stuff because at its core, Elegy for the Undead is a love story that illustrates how meaningful even a tragic love can be.
5.0
I usually start writing a review immediately after I finish a book, but I had to wait a bit after finishing Elegy for the Undead because I was crying too much. Matthew Vesely did an amazing job at portraying such raw emotion, I felt it so hard!
I’m not a fan of zombie media but the premise of Elegy for the Undead really gripped me from the beginning and I’m glad I read it because it took the zombie trope in a direction I enjoyed much more than I typically do. The chapters jump back and forth between Lyle and Jude’s POV and from before the outbreak, during the outbreak, and after the outbreak, so we get a really clear picture of Lyle and Jude’s relationship.
I’m not a fan of zombie media but the premise of Elegy for the Undead really gripped me from the beginning and I’m glad I read it because it took the zombie trope in a direction I enjoyed much more than I typically do. The chapters jump back and forth between Lyle and Jude’s POV and from before the outbreak, during the outbreak, and after the outbreak, so we get a really clear picture of Lyle and Jude’s relationship.
The book isn’t really about zombies, it’s about Lyle and Jude – how they met, how they deal with difficulties within their relationship, and how they cope with Lyle’s ‘zombie’ diagnosis. Their love is a beautiful example of how messy, imperfect, and wonderful love can be.
I listened to the audiobook (by the way, I was unable to find either the ebook or audiobook through my local library, but it’s available through the Queer Liberation Library!), narrated by Daniel Henning and Charlie Thurston. Both Henning and Thurston did a great job with the narration. No complaints here!
I’d absolutely recommend this one even to people who aren’t huge fans of zombie stuff because at its core, Elegy for the Undead is a love story that illustrates how meaningful even a tragic love can be.
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
5.0
I want to review this book because I want to share it, but I don’t know how. I feel like I can’t possibly write a review that would do it justice. So I’ll just touch on a few things I liked and hope that’s enough.
If you’re looking for books with a broad spectrum of queer representation, you can add No Gods, No Monsters to the list. There are trans and non-binary characters. There are bi, gay, lesbian, and ace relationships.
Reading No Gods, No Monsters was a moving experience. The writing was truly beautiful. Some parts had me cackling with laughter while others had me crying because I felt such deep sorrow. Even though it was based in fantasy, with magic and monsters, multiverses/parallel realities, and ancient secret societies, the struggles of marginalized communities reframed as monsters struggling to be accepted and treated humanely mirrored our own world in a heartbreaking way.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in this story, and many of them could be counted as main characters. All the POVs were confusing at first, so it took me a little longer to really get into it than most books, but I never thought of stopping because I even when I was confused, I was too intrigued.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham. I always listen to audiobooks at 1.75-2x speed because my mind wanders too easily if I listen at a speed lower than that. But Graham’s voice is so soothing and the writing is so wonderful, and together they were too beautiful to listen to beyond regular speed, so I didn’t increase it was surprised to find Graham kept my attention the way no other narrator has ever been able.
I’ll close with my favorite quote from the book and a suggestion that you go to Goodreads (sorry StoryGraph, I promise I will never suggest GR again) and read the review from Cadwell Turnbull himself where he’s written a letter to possible readers of No Gods, No Monsters. Read the letter, then read the book!
“As he walks with the crowd, he understands what he had forgotten: that a march is not just a voice against violence and trauma, but also a reminder that even in a cause that is stacked against them, no one is alone.”
If you’re looking for books with a broad spectrum of queer representation, you can add No Gods, No Monsters to the list. There are trans and non-binary characters. There are bi, gay, lesbian, and ace relationships.
Reading No Gods, No Monsters was a moving experience. The writing was truly beautiful. Some parts had me cackling with laughter while others had me crying because I felt such deep sorrow. Even though it was based in fantasy, with magic and monsters, multiverses/parallel realities, and ancient secret societies, the struggles of marginalized communities reframed as monsters struggling to be accepted and treated humanely mirrored our own world in a heartbreaking way.
There were a lot of people to keep track of in this story, and many of them could be counted as main characters. All the POVs were confusing at first, so it took me a little longer to really get into it than most books, but I never thought of stopping because I even when I was confused, I was too intrigued.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Dion Graham. I always listen to audiobooks at 1.75-2x speed because my mind wanders too easily if I listen at a speed lower than that. But Graham’s voice is so soothing and the writing is so wonderful, and together they were too beautiful to listen to beyond regular speed, so I didn’t increase it was surprised to find Graham kept my attention the way no other narrator has ever been able.
I’ll close with my favorite quote from the book and a suggestion that you go to Goodreads (sorry StoryGraph, I promise I will never suggest GR again) and read the review from Cadwell Turnbull himself where he’s written a letter to possible readers of No Gods, No Monsters. Read the letter, then read the book!
“As he walks with the crowd, he understands what he had forgotten: that a march is not just a voice against violence and trauma, but also a reminder that even in a cause that is stacked against them, no one is alone.”