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librovermo's reviews
224 reviews
The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
This book made me so sad. I want to write a decent review for it but I’m just… sad. It’s a great book and totally worth it, but save it for when you want to be sad. Loved the ending. Okay have to go be more sad now, bye.
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
medium-paced
5.0
I’ve always wanted to read two books at the exact same time. Who hasn’t? Nnedi Okorafor made that dream a reality with Death of the Author. It’s not just two stories in one, but a book within a book. And both of them are fantastic.
We have a book about Zelu, a disabled Nigerian-American author with a troubled life and loads of trauma who makes it big with Rusted Robots, a sci-fi book about robots. And then we have the sci-fi book about robots, which stars Ankara (who named herself after African Ankara fabric), a humanoid robot in future Nigeria who loves stories and hopes to save them from the AI that wishes to destroy them. There are a lot of parallels between each story and it was so fun to bounce back and forth between the two.
Zelu’s story was at the forefront though, and it covers 5+ years of her life as she writes Rusted Robots and deals with the aftermath of its publication. From dealing with the fame to lack of family support and navigating new relationships, Zelu really goes through it and I loved being there every step of the way, especially since she’s such a deep and interesting character. She’s brutally honest in a lot of ways, but I found myself wishing she’d use that honesty more often with her very large Nigerian family. They’re half Igbo, half Yoruba, which sometimes resulted in some conflicting traditions and customs. Zelu and her siblings are American too, so it was interesting to see how that influenced the way their Nigerian family treated them. There was so much Nigerian culture woven into Death of the Author, and I loved the glimpse into a world I’m not typically privy to.
Ankara’s story was also great. It was shorter, but it packed a punch all the same. The future she lives in is fascinating. I loved the evolution of her relationship with Ijele and the way the war affected her decisions.
This is one of my favorite sci-fi books in recent history. I’m completely in love with it and with Nnedi Okorafor’s writing. Before I even finished this one, I grabbed another of her books from the library. I’m so happy she’s written a bunch of stuff so I can read it all this year!
We have a book about Zelu, a disabled Nigerian-American author with a troubled life and loads of trauma who makes it big with Rusted Robots, a sci-fi book about robots. And then we have the sci-fi book about robots, which stars Ankara (who named herself after African Ankara fabric), a humanoid robot in future Nigeria who loves stories and hopes to save them from the AI that wishes to destroy them. There are a lot of parallels between each story and it was so fun to bounce back and forth between the two.
Zelu’s story was at the forefront though, and it covers 5+ years of her life as she writes Rusted Robots and deals with the aftermath of its publication. From dealing with the fame to lack of family support and navigating new relationships, Zelu really goes through it and I loved being there every step of the way, especially since she’s such a deep and interesting character. She’s brutally honest in a lot of ways, but I found myself wishing she’d use that honesty more often with her very large Nigerian family. They’re half Igbo, half Yoruba, which sometimes resulted in some conflicting traditions and customs. Zelu and her siblings are American too, so it was interesting to see how that influenced the way their Nigerian family treated them. There was so much Nigerian culture woven into Death of the Author, and I loved the glimpse into a world I’m not typically privy to.
Ankara’s story was also great. It was shorter, but it packed a punch all the same. The future she lives in is fascinating. I loved the evolution of her relationship with Ijele and the way the war affected her decisions.
This is one of my favorite sci-fi books in recent history. I’m completely in love with it and with Nnedi Okorafor’s writing. Before I even finished this one, I grabbed another of her books from the library. I’m so happy she’s written a bunch of stuff so I can read it all this year!
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch
I read this one with a friend and had a pretty good time!
It was outside of my normal kind of read (and the spice was um, maybe a little too much for me lol) but the idea of the prince of Christmas and the prince of Halloween falling in love was too good to pass up.
I expected a fun, laid-back read, and I did get that (plus plenty of silly camp), but it was also a lot deeper than I expected. While Coal worried about the possible repercussions of falling in love with the enemy, he also had a lot going on with the pressures of being the heir of Christmas and feeling like he was too weak to make any meaningful impact. The political aspect used to illustrate Santa’s whole deal was a bit convoluted imo but it was interesting. There were themes of grief and the consumerism of Christmas that gave the story a more serious tone at times, but it was never so serious that the book felt anything more than lighthearted.
I liked Hex more in the beginning because he was brooding, smart and insightful but I feel like his personality sort of devolved into just “Coal’s lover” once they got together and that was a little disappointing. Coal is an excellent character and his banter with everyone was funny. I especially liked his relationship with his brother, Kris.
I usually read Christmas-themed horror this time of year and it was fun to read something funny and light too!
funny
lighthearted
3.5
I read this one with a friend and had a pretty good time!
It was outside of my normal kind of read (and the spice was um, maybe a little too much for me lol) but the idea of the prince of Christmas and the prince of Halloween falling in love was too good to pass up.
I expected a fun, laid-back read, and I did get that (plus plenty of silly camp), but it was also a lot deeper than I expected. While Coal worried about the possible repercussions of falling in love with the enemy, he also had a lot going on with the pressures of being the heir of Christmas and feeling like he was too weak to make any meaningful impact. The political aspect used to illustrate Santa’s whole deal was a bit convoluted imo but it was interesting. There were themes of grief and the consumerism of Christmas that gave the story a more serious tone at times, but it was never so serious that the book felt anything more than lighthearted.
I liked Hex more in the beginning because he was brooding, smart and insightful but I feel like his personality sort of devolved into just “Coal’s lover” once they got together and that was a little disappointing. Coal is an excellent character and his banter with everyone was funny. I especially liked his relationship with his brother, Kris.
I usually read Christmas-themed horror this time of year and it was fun to read something funny and light too!
All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall
challenging
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
5.0
I had only read a few pages of All the Water In the World when I realized it was going to be an emotional read for me. It’s a devastating, inspiring, and all too realistic depiction of the effects of climate change on our world. Nonie’s story shows us that there’s always reason to hope, even after the world has ended.
The pacing is slow, which added to the tension and stress I felt as 13-year-old Nonie and her family struggled through the dangers of the world to make their way to a safe place. While there wasn’t a ton of action, there were a couple scenes that had my heart pounding out of my chest and though I could have torn through the book in a couple sittings, it took me longer than usual because I had to take breaks to sit with my thoughts (or distract myself from them).
As for the writing: fantastic. Because I have aphantasia, I always rely on authors to provide excellent descriptions and Eiren Caffall did a beautiful job painting a picture of a world ravaged by climate change. And I think the choice to tell the story through the eyes of a child was an excellent one.
I love that some chapters were flashbacks to Nonie’s time living at the museum with all the other survivors. Nonie was the only one among them who was too young to remember much about the time before the city was flooded and it was interesting to see how her experience differed from theirs. Honestly, everything was interesting. Even with the slow pacing, I was never bored.
Eiren Caffall doesn’t sugarcoat the possible disastrous future that awaits us and I can’t recommend All the Water In the World enough to anyone looking for a serious, thought-provoking read.
I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.
The pacing is slow, which added to the tension and stress I felt as 13-year-old Nonie and her family struggled through the dangers of the world to make their way to a safe place. While there wasn’t a ton of action, there were a couple scenes that had my heart pounding out of my chest and though I could have torn through the book in a couple sittings, it took me longer than usual because I had to take breaks to sit with my thoughts (or distract myself from them).
As for the writing: fantastic. Because I have aphantasia, I always rely on authors to provide excellent descriptions and Eiren Caffall did a beautiful job painting a picture of a world ravaged by climate change. And I think the choice to tell the story through the eyes of a child was an excellent one.
I love that some chapters were flashbacks to Nonie’s time living at the museum with all the other survivors. Nonie was the only one among them who was too young to remember much about the time before the city was flooded and it was interesting to see how her experience differed from theirs. Honestly, everything was interesting. Even with the slow pacing, I was never bored.
Eiren Caffall doesn’t sugarcoat the possible disastrous future that awaits us and I can’t recommend All the Water In the World enough to anyone looking for a serious, thought-provoking read.
I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley.
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.
The pacing of this book is just too slow for me.
The Rising by Jo Riccioni
3.75
**Because The Rising is the second in a duology, there is vague mention of something from the first book in this review!**
The conclusion to The Branded Season duology surprised me. While the overall outcome wasn’t unexpected, The Rising still shocked me with several twists and revelations along the way, making it both gripping and entertaining. I enjoyed the story, though it did feel a little rushed, and there was a ton of well-described and exciting action.
I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but as it was already done in The Branded, I was a little disappointed that Nara and Nixim’s relationship in The Rising felt a lot like a repeat of the first book. I was hoping the wrangler’s betrayal would come to a head and there would be some sort of solution a bit earlier, leaving plenty of room for the growth of their relationship, but that wasn’t the case. I did very much enjoy Nara’s interactions with new characters introduced though and found her relationship with Azza especially endearing.
This book mostly takes place in another city, where the Pure vs. Branded hierarchy and prejudices exist, but differently. It was interesting to see how another part of Nara’s world dealt with the aftermath of The Brume, and the ways in which witnessing these differences affected Nara, Osha, and Brim.
I’m a big fan of the overall messages behind The Branded Season duology and that through a great story, Jo Riccioni encourages her readers to think some big thoughts about some important subjects.
I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley and a copy of the book from the publisher, Angry Robot.
The conclusion to The Branded Season duology surprised me. While the overall outcome wasn’t unexpected, The Rising still shocked me with several twists and revelations along the way, making it both gripping and entertaining. I enjoyed the story, though it did feel a little rushed, and there was a ton of well-described and exciting action.
I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, but as it was already done in The Branded, I was a little disappointed that Nara and Nixim’s relationship in The Rising felt a lot like a repeat of the first book. I was hoping the wrangler’s betrayal would come to a head and there would be some sort of solution a bit earlier, leaving plenty of room for the growth of their relationship, but that wasn’t the case. I did very much enjoy Nara’s interactions with new characters introduced though and found her relationship with Azza especially endearing.
This book mostly takes place in another city, where the Pure vs. Branded hierarchy and prejudices exist, but differently. It was interesting to see how another part of Nara’s world dealt with the aftermath of The Brume, and the ways in which witnessing these differences affected Nara, Osha, and Brim.
I’m a big fan of the overall messages behind The Branded Season duology and that through a great story, Jo Riccioni encourages her readers to think some big thoughts about some important subjects.
I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley and a copy of the book from the publisher, Angry Robot.
And the Sky Bled by S. Hati
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I was super interested in the premise of this one but just couldn’t get into it. I took a small break, tried again, and had trouble getting through even a couple pages. I might just not be in the mood right now. Maybe I’ll borrow it from the library again in the future.
Ludluda by Jeff Noon, Steve Beard
4.25
I read Gogmagog very recently and felt confused here and there, I think because it was my first real dive into weird fantasy. Well, now that I’ve read this book, the second in the duology, I feel like the first gave me the training and experience I needed to understand this subgenre. Ludluda wasn’t written any differently, but I had a much easier time with it and it gave me an even greater appreciation for Gogmagog.
Ludluda started up just where Gogmagog left off and I love when that happens. As it’s a sequel, I don’t want to touch too much on plot, but I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it took. Though Cady is the main character, I expected most of the focus to be on Brin because Gogmagog ended with a Brin-centered event. Instead, we got full focus on Cady, and the book was more about her quest(s), which did ultimately include Brin and others, but not as I thought. I don’t know if that even makes sense, but the important thing to understand is that I really loved the way it was done and I’m glad the duology was actually about Cady’s experiences instead being a story about Brin witnessed by Cady. And not only that, but Cady’s story went places I would never have guessed. I think this duology has caused me to think “how did they think of this?” more than any other book I’ve read.
Speaking of Cady: once again, her curmudgeonly personality shines bright, and her interactions with everyone around her had me either laughing or loving that she’s actually a bit of a softie when it’s deserved. Now that I’m finished with these books, I’m really going to miss the old girl.
The story’s conclusion was satisfying mostly because I had no idea where it was going and had no expectations whatsoever, and I loved the very end.
Thanks very much to Angry Robot Books for the ARC of this book.
Ludluda started up just where Gogmagog left off and I love when that happens. As it’s a sequel, I don’t want to touch too much on plot, but I was pleasantly surprised with the direction it took. Though Cady is the main character, I expected most of the focus to be on Brin because Gogmagog ended with a Brin-centered event. Instead, we got full focus on Cady, and the book was more about her quest(s), which did ultimately include Brin and others, but not as I thought. I don’t know if that even makes sense, but the important thing to understand is that I really loved the way it was done and I’m glad the duology was actually about Cady’s experiences instead being a story about Brin witnessed by Cady. And not only that, but Cady’s story went places I would never have guessed. I think this duology has caused me to think “how did they think of this?” more than any other book I’ve read.
Speaking of Cady: once again, her curmudgeonly personality shines bright, and her interactions with everyone around her had me either laughing or loving that she’s actually a bit of a softie when it’s deserved. Now that I’m finished with these books, I’m really going to miss the old girl.
The story’s conclusion was satisfying mostly because I had no idea where it was going and had no expectations whatsoever, and I loved the very end.
Thanks very much to Angry Robot Books for the ARC of this book.