lyderz_'s reviews
68 reviews

This Place: 150 Years Retold by David A. Robertson, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, Jen Storm, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Chelsea Vowel, Brandon Mitchell, Richard Van Camp, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley, Katherena Vermette, Sonny Assu

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dark emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

“Indigenous writers have pointed out that, as Indigenous people, we all live in a post-apocalyptic world. The world as we knew it ended the moment colonialism started to creep across these lands. But we have continued to tell our stories; we have continued to adapt. Despite everything, we have survived.” -Alicia Elliot

This Place: 150 Years Retold is a graphic novel anthology made up of ten stories written and illustrated by Indigenous creators. It explores the past 150 years of Canadian history and policy from Indigenous perspectives. Each story is powerful and unique, I enjoyed the mix of art styles and narrative voices. I found that it was enriching and informative while still being easy to follow. I appreciated that at the beginning of each story there was a note from the authors providing some background as well as a timeline to orient the reader, especially because I am not very familiar with Canadian history. This book is about the countless horrors of colonialism, it is about pain, and adaptation. But it is also about hope, culture, community and strength. The power of storytelling is a consistent theme as a means of shining a spotlight on Indigenous heroes who live on in their legacies and stories. This book is a remembrance of the past, a testimony of survival and a letter of hope for the future. I honestly think that everyone should read this book in the spirit of uplifting Indigenous voices and listening to their stories in their own words and on their own terms.

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The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex by Tamsyn Muir

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

5.0

Yessss, the sixth are my favorite! I loved this little slice of world building and backstory. I even shed a tear at the end

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Alright the “tagline” of this book is literally “You never forget your first betrayal” so I should have been prepared. I should have known I would not make it out of this without feeling… betrayed… but I was in fact not ready (especially for that ending). Without being spoilery, let me just say that the decisions these characters make, the secrets they keep, and the things they choose to suffer alone are so infuriating it literally makes it feel like there is a pit in my stomach. So, naturally I gave this book five stars. For me, if a book is able to incite such intense emotions and visceral reactions, then the author is doing a great job. In all seriousness, I sincerely enjoyed this book but I am so deeply invested in The Shadowhunter Chronicles at this point I'll snatch up every bit of content without a second thought. Jumping back into this universe and these storylines always brings me a nostalgic sense of joy and this book didn’t disappoint.

We have a dark and moody winter in London. We have Edwardian era fashion (I seriously had to look up what spats are). We have tea. We have a murder mystery. We have literal chess games and metaphorical ones too! What more do you need?

This book in particular felt very character driven, which I typically enjoy. There are obviously dangers driving things along, but it is so focused on the complex interpersonal relationships between the main characters that I found the mysterious murder plot secondary to all that for most of the book. It all did eventually gain momentum but I honestly thought the main showdown was a bit anticlimactic. I wanted more action, it’s strange because the threats in this book are very cosmic and impending, and yet they don’t feel very immediate. With all of that said, I understand that the vibe of this trilogy is focused on the drama, and let's be honest, that is what I am really here for. I love reading about all the social gatherings and the gossip. Every scene with the Merry Thieves all gathered together is so fun to read, I am obsessed with their group dynamics. These characters have such contradictory relationships because they are so closely entwined and care for each other so deeply and yet they can be very closed off from each other when they are struggling the most. Each have their own things going on, and their own juicy secrets as well. We got to see some new sides to these characters and I was surprised by how vastly my opinions of some of them have shifted since Chain of Gold, for better or for worse…

Like many Shadowhunter stories, the themes of this book are intensely centered around love. But in this case, we’re exploring the ways that love can be damaging. Or in the sense that harmful things can be disguised as love. We see time and time again these characters holding back, turning inward and keeping quiet because of their love rather than using it as a driving force for the goodness that they all strive for, which seems to perpetually remain out of reach. There are so many toxic and angsty things going on that it makes me want to scream but I’m looking forward to getting some resolutions in the next book, hopefully. In all honesty I’m sensing tragedy, I have some theories about what's next and I feel like I picked up on some foreshadowing. By the Angel I hope I’m wrong.

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Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If this is an incoherent mess, blame the fact that I’m trying to tackle the most mind bending book I have ever read, in my first review… so here we go.

I’ll preface this by saying that I absolutely adored Gideon the Ninth, and so I went into this book with the confident, giddy, ease of someone who thought she was in for a smooth continuation of that story. You could say that I was immediately disoriented. If reading Gideon the Ninth was like trying to piece together a puzzle, Harrow the Ninth was like being dropped into the middle of a pitch dark maze. A maze with lit up exit signs that turn out to be misleading lies, transporting you right back to the start. It’s frustrating in a truly agonizing and addicting type of way that I have never experienced from a book before. Maybe that’s why I loved it.

As suggested by the title, we delve into all things Harrow. I thoroughly enjoyed wading through the depths of her character. There’s not much I can say without spoiling anything… but I think this book managed to be a nice middle point between being a character study and being plot driven. There’s mystery, extensions of earlier world building, intriguing new characters and high stakes pushing the narrative right alongside the ordeal of being Harrowhark Nonagesimus.

Let's talk a little about pacing because this book can be a bit daunting. Like I said, the beginning was a shock, we have crazy things going on with timelines and perspectives that might take awhile to get used to but after the initial confusion, it was all intrigue for me. I never lost interest, fueled by the maddening need to make it make sense. I realize that not all readers will enjoy this type of perpetual confusion but I personally think it’s worth it by the end. If you ever do find yourself in a slump with this book I’d recommend at least trying to get to Act 4 because I think that really is when the story hits a turning point. At this point things start to add up and speed up as well.

To wrap this up I’ll say that I’m typically a pretty emotional reader but this book took it to a new level. I laughed, I gasped, I sniffled and sobbed at 2am. There were lines that stopped me in my tracks and passages that I had to read over again and read aloud. It’s got gore that genuinely freaked me out, and tragedy written all over it. This is one of those books that is going to be a completely new experience upon rereading, which I am definitely looking forward to. Because what else is there to do with my life while I wait for Alecto the Ninth?!

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