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mxsallybend's reviews
3306 reviews
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Judging by the blurb, I was expecting Someone You Can Build a Nest In to be a weird, creepy-cute, original bit of literary fun. The concept sounded great, and the story sounded like it might offer something truly different than from what we normally see coming out of mainstream SFF publishers. It was most definitely weird and original, more creepy than cute, but I’m afraid fun is a word I can’t use to describe it.
Critically, I’m sure John Wiswell’s debut will receive all sorts of accolades for its originality and its messaging. It is indeed like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I’m pleased that DAW took a chance on such a book. Shesheshen is a well-developed monster, a truly ‘other’ creature whose biology is like nothing we’re familiar with. Initially, she even seems to think differently, which I admire, but it made it hard to connect with her as a narrator. Eventually, Wiswell does fall into the trap of simply putting familiar thoughts into unfamiliar bodies, making the story more accessible, but there are still shadows of that otherness.
Personally, I regret to say I didn’t enjoy it. The narration didn’t engage me, the pacing made it difficult to get invested in the story, and I never really connected with any of the characters. As for the romance, I never bought into it, never felt anything between the characters, and that’s a huge disconnect for me. There was so much potential, so many other ways Wiswell could have approached it, but I freely admit those choices would have taken away from the otherness of the book. It didn’t work for me, didn’t engage me as the fun read I expected, but I can see how others (especially sci-fi fans who are used to alien otherness) might have a far different reaction.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In didn’t work for me. I struggled to keep reading, and found myself reluctantly returning to the story. That’s just me, though. It’s admirable in what it does, and other readers have given it rave reviews, so give it a chance – if it works for you, it’ll likely work very well.
Critically, I’m sure John Wiswell’s debut will receive all sorts of accolades for its originality and its messaging. It is indeed like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I’m pleased that DAW took a chance on such a book. Shesheshen is a well-developed monster, a truly ‘other’ creature whose biology is like nothing we’re familiar with. Initially, she even seems to think differently, which I admire, but it made it hard to connect with her as a narrator. Eventually, Wiswell does fall into the trap of simply putting familiar thoughts into unfamiliar bodies, making the story more accessible, but there are still shadows of that otherness.
Personally, I regret to say I didn’t enjoy it. The narration didn’t engage me, the pacing made it difficult to get invested in the story, and I never really connected with any of the characters. As for the romance, I never bought into it, never felt anything between the characters, and that’s a huge disconnect for me. There was so much potential, so many other ways Wiswell could have approached it, but I freely admit those choices would have taken away from the otherness of the book. It didn’t work for me, didn’t engage me as the fun read I expected, but I can see how others (especially sci-fi fans who are used to alien otherness) might have a far different reaction.
Someone You Can Build a Nest In didn’t work for me. I struggled to keep reading, and found myself reluctantly returning to the story. That’s just me, though. It’s admirable in what it does, and other readers have given it rave reviews, so give it a chance – if it works for you, it’ll likely work very well.
The Ishtar Ignition by Timothy Black
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
Picking up immediately where The Clockwork Courtesan left off, Timothy Black slows the pace with The Ishtar Ignition and delves deeper (quite literally) into the history of the Matriarchy and the magic of its Tantric Aviatrixes.
Where the first book was swashbuckling sci-fi, this one is more pulp sci-fi adventure, taking us beneath the sands and into the ruins of the long-buried Temple of Ishtar. It’s a dark, dangerous place, complete with a magical suppression field that drains the life from both Captain Charlotte Frost and the Doll – in both its forms. With evidence of past Matriarchy involvement, the ruins of artificial monstrosities, and strange writings everywhere, we’re presented with a locked room puzzle that Charlotte must risk hastening her own death to solve.
Black explores various levels of his world-building and mythology in this second volume, exposing myths and secrets along the way. Not all of the answers are ones Charlotte will want to hear, especially the final one that leads into an even better cliffhanger than the first, and we’re left with enough doubt to trust any of the answers. We learn more about the Doll as well, with Arlan’s identity suppressing Tash for much of the story, and it both evokes new sympathies and fresh fears. Again, the answers are couched in doubts and secrets, but even the questions we’re left with are huge.
Two books in, and I can confidently say the Tales of the Tantric Aviatrix saga is well worth the read. It’s a wonderful blend of adventure, science fiction, and erotica, with a pulp/steampunk feel . . . except it’s magic, not steam. I’m still hoping the see the story open up a bit and give us more insight into the other Aviatrixes, but that’s a desire, not a complaint.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/book-review-the-ishtar-ignition-by-timothy-black-scifi-lesbian/
Where the first book was swashbuckling sci-fi, this one is more pulp sci-fi adventure, taking us beneath the sands and into the ruins of the long-buried Temple of Ishtar. It’s a dark, dangerous place, complete with a magical suppression field that drains the life from both Captain Charlotte Frost and the Doll – in both its forms. With evidence of past Matriarchy involvement, the ruins of artificial monstrosities, and strange writings everywhere, we’re presented with a locked room puzzle that Charlotte must risk hastening her own death to solve.
Black explores various levels of his world-building and mythology in this second volume, exposing myths and secrets along the way. Not all of the answers are ones Charlotte will want to hear, especially the final one that leads into an even better cliffhanger than the first, and we’re left with enough doubt to trust any of the answers. We learn more about the Doll as well, with Arlan’s identity suppressing Tash for much of the story, and it both evokes new sympathies and fresh fears. Again, the answers are couched in doubts and secrets, but even the questions we’re left with are huge.
Two books in, and I can confidently say the Tales of the Tantric Aviatrix saga is well worth the read. It’s a wonderful blend of adventure, science fiction, and erotica, with a pulp/steampunk feel . . . except it’s magic, not steam. I’m still hoping the see the story open up a bit and give us more insight into the other Aviatrixes, but that’s a desire, not a complaint.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/01/13/book-review-the-ishtar-ignition-by-timothy-black-scifi-lesbian/
The Secret Duchess by Jane Walsh
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
The Secret Duchess and I got off to a bit of a rough start because I didn’t initially care about either of the main characters. They seemed rather shallow, self-indulgent, entitled women, and while I felt bad for their rude awakenings, I wasn’t prepared to be particularly sympathetic to them. Had this not been a Jane Walsh novel, I’m not sure I would have kept reading.
Of course, I did keep reading, and I did soon come to understand the careful undressing of layers here, and how deftly Walsh built not just a romance, but the women within it. They start out seeming shallow and self-indulgent because they were raised to put social standing and appearances before all else. Neither Joan nor Maeve have ever had the opportunity to know themselves, much less be themselves, so being stripped bare of their social standing is indeed a rude awakening.
That rude awakening is a darkness that looms over much of the story, with sorrow, grief, uncertainty, and even horror that colors every moment. It’s heavy, but it’s also necessary for us to shift from understanding to accepting to empathizing with Joan and Maeve. Their struggles reveal the strength of the women inside, and an acquaintance forced upon them by circumstance slowly blooms into friendship before flowering into romance – which is where the book shines brightest. I loved getting to know these women, seeing how they treated others when there was no longer a social ladder between them, and witnessing how they became far more than the roles they’d cast aside.
I quickly came to adore Maeve, and to feel for Joan. I wanted them to be together for Joan’s sake, perhaps even more than Maeve’s, and I loved how Walsh navigated the first stirrings of love between them. Joan is so innocent, so naive when it comes to affairs of the body, and Maeve is the perfect woman to guide and instruct her. Their first fumblings are so sweet in the language and lessons learned, and it’s a delight to see passion and love develop almost simultaneously. As courtships go, this was one of my favorites in the genre!
The story does sort of race towards a climax in the final chapters, but it’s the perfect culmination of the entire story, with people coming together out of a sense of family and love, regardless of role or position, to see to it that the right thing is done – even if (or especially if) it’s not what we expected.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/01/07/book-review-the-secret-duchess-by-jane-walsh-romance/
Of course, I did keep reading, and I did soon come to understand the careful undressing of layers here, and how deftly Walsh built not just a romance, but the women within it. They start out seeming shallow and self-indulgent because they were raised to put social standing and appearances before all else. Neither Joan nor Maeve have ever had the opportunity to know themselves, much less be themselves, so being stripped bare of their social standing is indeed a rude awakening.
That rude awakening is a darkness that looms over much of the story, with sorrow, grief, uncertainty, and even horror that colors every moment. It’s heavy, but it’s also necessary for us to shift from understanding to accepting to empathizing with Joan and Maeve. Their struggles reveal the strength of the women inside, and an acquaintance forced upon them by circumstance slowly blooms into friendship before flowering into romance – which is where the book shines brightest. I loved getting to know these women, seeing how they treated others when there was no longer a social ladder between them, and witnessing how they became far more than the roles they’d cast aside.
I quickly came to adore Maeve, and to feel for Joan. I wanted them to be together for Joan’s sake, perhaps even more than Maeve’s, and I loved how Walsh navigated the first stirrings of love between them. Joan is so innocent, so naive when it comes to affairs of the body, and Maeve is the perfect woman to guide and instruct her. Their first fumblings are so sweet in the language and lessons learned, and it’s a delight to see passion and love develop almost simultaneously. As courtships go, this was one of my favorites in the genre!
The story does sort of race towards a climax in the final chapters, but it’s the perfect culmination of the entire story, with people coming together out of a sense of family and love, regardless of role or position, to see to it that the right thing is done – even if (or especially if) it’s not what we expected.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/01/07/book-review-the-secret-duchess-by-jane-walsh-romance/