Opening up the pages of this book, I remember the hankering I had for a journey that transported me far away from the cold and grey of Belgian January. And so it did.

Kurniawan begins with the telling of a murder, and it isn’t until the end that we will know the ‘why’ of it. I found myself enraptured by the description of life in the small jungle village where Margio lives. The cold and grey receded and my mind was filled with images of lush, dense and tropical climate of Java, Indonesia.

I went into this book blindly—having not read reviews and only skimmed the blurb—and I’m happy for it. And so in the hopes that you can have that chance too, I’m going to keep it simple:

There’s a definite mysterious, sometimes tense or reflective tone to the way Kurniawan weaves Margio’s story. It’s circular and satisfying. I was left wanting to read more of Kurniawan’s work, and definitely look forward to the next time that I will have that pleasure.

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Not sure that I'll have a fully fleshed out review for this one so here are my main thoughts on this book:

(1) That's it?! ...Definitely not the ending that I would've wished for but then again it is a convincing one--true to Runin.
(2) Again, well-written as ever. Safe to say I am now a Kuang stan.

Leaf Storm and Other Stories by Gabriel García Márquez

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 64%.

Sorry to have to say it, but this was a DNF (did not finish) for me. Although I much enjoyed the writing style (including the symbolism, vocabulary, etc.) and the setting, it was far too slow a read for me at the time.

I'm putting it back on the shelf for now. I might give it another go at some point. We shall see; never say never.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

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informative reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Going to be short and sweet with my comments on this tiny novel:

It is jam packed with important social commentary. And although most of that is on Korean society, it's important to recognise the link that it has to women in patriarchal social systems around the world.

An important feminist read to be sure.

Fox 8 by George Saunders

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informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

Whimsical is the one word I would use describe to describe this personified narration from the perspective of a fox. It's very original to be sure. I appreciated the deviation from our human pov in the novel to that of a fox. It gives a lovely delivery of an important message.

Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The longer I mull this read over, the more fondly I think of it. Earthlings is such an unusual read--or at least for me it was. It was the first time I read anything from the horror genre. Overall I prefer Earthlings to Convenience Store Woman.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the alien aspect to our main character and what it meant: wanting to fit in, but not; feeling different; not being efficient or productive by societal ideals; uniqueness; etc... Like in Convenience Store Woman, I enjoyed the commentary on capitalism & individuals being a cog in the wheel of productivity in society. Earthlings depicted some brutal scenes to be sure, but I really appreciate the way that Sayaka Murata wrote about trauma and how it reflects in the self.

If you're looking to pick up a novel that's <i>way out of this world</i> I would highly recommend Earthlings! That being said, I'm not sure it's a book for everyone, so I'd also encourage checking out the content warnings beforehand as some passages are a bit gruesome.

Content Warnings

Temple of No God by H.M. Long

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Happy (UK) publication day to Temple of No God!

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H.M. Long's Hall of Smoke was such a great journey, and I could not wait to get my hands on the next installment in the world. Temple of No God did not disappoint!

Taking place a decade after Hall of Smoke, Temple of No God once again centered the journey of Hessa, the slayer of Eang and follower of Thvynder. Since the last time we saw her, she has ascended to High Priestess, made decisions that fostered a level of peace with some, and continued on the legacy of pillaging the villages of others. But news of a new god rising to power in Arpa--and with the support of warring clans nonetheless--has come about.

It was really enjoyable to read Long's writing style. There was a perfect mix of wit or humor in dialogue, and the balance of Hessa's personal journey with the drama and uncertainties outside of her control. I enjoyed Hessa's character arc and growth since Hall of Smoke, and thought that the flashbacks were a nice literary way to fill in the gap of years. The foreshadowing was well done, and the ending a complete surprise! It was a joy to reach it all unfold and piece together.

It didn't greatly affect my reading experience, but I will say that I forgot some of the lore and events of Hall of Smoke (read in Jan 2021). This is where the map and glossary were especially helpful, but they also make Temple of No God book readable as a stand alone.

Truly, I cannot wait for the sequel to see where H.M. Long takes us next in the world of Hall of Smoke. I would especially recommend Temple of No God to those who generally enjoy fantasy, are interested in Norse- & viking-inspired lands, or those who enjoyed book one and want to see what Hessa is up to next.

4.5/5 stars for Temple of No God! Thank you to NetGalley and Titan books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

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mvvelde's reviews 113 reviews

mvvelde's reviews
113 reviews