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queer_bookwyrm's reviews
499 reviews
Gild by Raven Kennedy
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
3 ⭐ CW: Violence, sexual content, emotional manipulation, rape/sexual violence, blood, death
Gild by Raven Kennedy is book one in the Plated Prisoner series. I bought the first two books in this series in an effort to support this indie author when Amazon was giving her trouble, so I didn't really know much going into it other than it was a King Midas retelling. This was not for me. I finished it, but I won't be finishing the series.
We follow Auren, a gilded girl and favored 'saddle' of King Midas. She literally lives in a gilded cage, and is at the beck and call of the king. It was bold of the author to open the book with a full on orgy with our MC watching. Auren is in love with the king, who saved her from a wretched life, but she has no freedom or autonomy of her own, and is used as a pawn in his political scheming. After ten years of never leaving her cage, King Midas sends for her in another kingdom, and she finally gets to be outside. Unfortunately, for her and the rest of the saddles, bad things happen.
For a book of this length, nothing much really happens. The plot is kind of meandering and doesn't seem to have a central thread. Auren is plucky, but ultimately pretty one dimensional. I kept waiting for her to realize that Midas is not the good guy. There is a lot of power and control happening along with some hypocritical shit. Midas claims to want to stop a flesh trader, while at the same time owning men and women to be his sex slaves. It just really felt like we were meant to see Midas as the strong romantic type, but he just grossed me out. Every single man (apart from two) are the most disgusting misogynistic beasts I've ever read.
There is an unnecessary amount of violence and sexual violence. The world building was a bit lacking, and then suddenly there are fae? The concept of Auren being golden along with her ribbons was interesting, but it's not enough to hold my interest.
Gild by Raven Kennedy is book one in the Plated Prisoner series. I bought the first two books in this series in an effort to support this indie author when Amazon was giving her trouble, so I didn't really know much going into it other than it was a King Midas retelling. This was not for me. I finished it, but I won't be finishing the series.
We follow Auren, a gilded girl and favored 'saddle' of King Midas. She literally lives in a gilded cage, and is at the beck and call of the king. It was bold of the author to open the book with a full on orgy with our MC watching. Auren is in love with the king, who saved her from a wretched life, but she has no freedom or autonomy of her own, and is used as a pawn in his political scheming. After ten years of never leaving her cage, King Midas sends for her in another kingdom, and she finally gets to be outside. Unfortunately, for her and the rest of the saddles, bad things happen.
For a book of this length, nothing much really happens. The plot is kind of meandering and doesn't seem to have a central thread. Auren is plucky, but ultimately pretty one dimensional. I kept waiting for her to realize that Midas is not the good guy. There is a lot of power and control happening along with some hypocritical shit. Midas claims to want to stop a flesh trader, while at the same time owning men and women to be his sex slaves. It just really felt like we were meant to see Midas as the strong romantic type, but he just grossed me out. Every single man (apart from two) are the most disgusting misogynistic beasts I've ever read.
There is an unnecessary amount of violence and sexual violence. The world building was a bit lacking, and then suddenly there are fae? The concept of Auren being golden along with her ribbons was interesting, but it's not enough to hold my interest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
Warcross by Marie Lu
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: death of a parent mention, bullying mentions
Warcross by Marie Lu is book one in the Warcross duology. Marie Lu's books have been pretty hit or miss for me, but this one definitely hit! This is in my top two of her books I've read so far. This was a great fast paced scifi read, perfect for the gamers out there.
We follow Emika Chen, an 18 year old girl living in NYC trying to make ends meet and not get evicted by being a bounty hunter. Emika hunts people illegally gambling on the worldwide popular virtual game, Warcross. Emika is a talented hacker, and when she tries to hack into one of the official Warcross games to steal a power up, she glitches into the game for everyone to see, causing her a lot of unexpected attention.
She is invited to Tokyo by Warcross creator Hideo Tanaka, who wants to hire her for her hacking and bounty hunting skills. Oh and she also gets to be in the official world championships. She is tasked with finding out who another hacker is that is causing Hideo problems. Things get wild when Emiko realizes the stakes are much higher than she thought.
This was a great story about virtual reality and what you would be willing to give up to keep it. I guessed one of the twists, but not the second one! I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens next!
Warcross by Marie Lu is book one in the Warcross duology. Marie Lu's books have been pretty hit or miss for me, but this one definitely hit! This is in my top two of her books I've read so far. This was a great fast paced scifi read, perfect for the gamers out there.
We follow Emika Chen, an 18 year old girl living in NYC trying to make ends meet and not get evicted by being a bounty hunter. Emika hunts people illegally gambling on the worldwide popular virtual game, Warcross. Emika is a talented hacker, and when she tries to hack into one of the official Warcross games to steal a power up, she glitches into the game for everyone to see, causing her a lot of unexpected attention.
She is invited to Tokyo by Warcross creator Hideo Tanaka, who wants to hire her for her hacking and bounty hunting skills. Oh and she also gets to be in the official world championships. She is tasked with finding out who another hacker is that is causing Hideo problems. Things get wild when Emiko realizes the stakes are much higher than she thought.
This was a great story about virtual reality and what you would be willing to give up to keep it. I guessed one of the twists, but not the second one! I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens next!
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
Emissary to the Frost Wolf by Liv Savell, Sterling D'Este
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, gore, vomit, slavery, rape mention, domestic violence mention, child abuse, sexual content
Emissary to the Frost Wolf by Liv Savell and Sterling D'Este is book two in the Song of the Lost series. This was a great second book! Despite how long it was, it held my attention the whole time, and had me stressed. So. Much. Tension. We really need to stop leaving off on cliffhangers though lol. I don't know when book three is supposed to come out, but I need it now!
We continue to follow Iniabi, leader of Emai, in her war against the Pheceans and Liria to free her people. We get to learn a lot more about her and the Emai as a whole. The Emai are definitely the underdogs of the story. We also get povs from Soyala, the spy in Iniabi's ranks, and had me yelling at Iniabi not to trust her. Stress. We follow Danae Othonos more this time rather than focusing so much on Basia. Danae, a noble in Phecea is learning how hard it is to change the hearts and minds of privileged people who cling to traditions even though they harm other people. She fights to help the Emai, while also trying to fight for her love.
Poor Wynn and Dyfan! Those guys just can't catch a break. Finally having escaped their Victors, they sail across the Sea to Liria, and become embroiled in a war they don't understand. Wynn struggles with his PTSD and the fact that he doesn't want to help Liria continue their horrors with Emai, while Dyfan struggles with his place in the world knowing only fighting. I just want them to be happy in a cottage in the mountains 😭.
I love how character focused this epic fantasy series is. It really captures your attention and makes you care about each of the characters (Except Luce the Lirian. Fuck that guy). It took me way too long to realize all of the books by these authors take place in the same world, which is awesome. This takes place approximately thirty years before Vassal.
Really looking forward to the next book! Emissary to the Frost Wolf comes out July 23rd. Go support these indie authors!
Emissary to the Frost Wolf by Liv Savell and Sterling D'Este is book two in the Song of the Lost series. This was a great second book! Despite how long it was, it held my attention the whole time, and had me stressed. So. Much. Tension. We really need to stop leaving off on cliffhangers though lol. I don't know when book three is supposed to come out, but I need it now!
We continue to follow Iniabi, leader of Emai, in her war against the Pheceans and Liria to free her people. We get to learn a lot more about her and the Emai as a whole. The Emai are definitely the underdogs of the story. We also get povs from Soyala, the spy in Iniabi's ranks, and had me yelling at Iniabi not to trust her. Stress. We follow Danae Othonos more this time rather than focusing so much on Basia. Danae, a noble in Phecea is learning how hard it is to change the hearts and minds of privileged people who cling to traditions even though they harm other people. She fights to help the Emai, while also trying to fight for her love.
Poor Wynn and Dyfan! Those guys just can't catch a break. Finally having escaped their Victors, they sail across the Sea to Liria, and become embroiled in a war they don't understand. Wynn struggles with his PTSD and the fact that he doesn't want to help Liria continue their horrors with Emai, while Dyfan struggles with his place in the world knowing only fighting. I just want them to be happy in a cottage in the mountains 😭.
I love how character focused this epic fantasy series is. It really captures your attention and makes you care about each of the characters (Except Luce the Lirian. Fuck that guy). It took me way too long to realize all of the books by these authors take place in the same world, which is awesome. This takes place approximately thirty years before Vassal.
Really looking forward to the next book! Emissary to the Frost Wolf comes out July 23rd. Go support these indie authors!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Vomit
Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: Death, violence
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte is a YA fantasy standalone and a murder mystery. I really enjoyed this one. It was nice to have an easy read after the last book I read. This was a nice blend of scifi and period fantasy.
We follow Keralie Corrington, a thief in Toria part of Quardara. Her job is to pickpocket valuable items for her boss Mackiel to auction off. Then one day he directs her to steal from an Eonian messenger in possession of memory chips. When the messenger comes to the auction house to retrieve what had been stolen, Keralie ingests the chips and sets off a chain of events that changes, not only her life, but changes all of Quardara. The four queens are dead.
We alternate between Keralie's pov and the povs of all the queens up to their deaths. Kera and the Eonian boy, Varin try to tell the palace about who might have done the murders. I really liked that Kera was a flawed character. She was allowed to be messy. I thought the world building was interesting. Quardara is split into four quadrants: Eonia, the land of stoics bent on technological advancement and abhor emotion; Archia, the fertile land that values simplicity and hard work; Toria, a land of trade and seafaring and values curiosity and knowledge; Ludia, the land of frivolity, pleasure, and art.
I love when a mystery can keep me guessing! I had no idea who was behind the murders until it was revealed, and the red herring had me. There was a little bit of romance between Kera and Varin, but it was very minor compared to the rest of the story. It also seemed to be a queer normative world, at least as far as same gender romance.
This was a fun read!
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte is a YA fantasy standalone and a murder mystery. I really enjoyed this one. It was nice to have an easy read after the last book I read. This was a nice blend of scifi and period fantasy.
We follow Keralie Corrington, a thief in Toria part of Quardara. Her job is to pickpocket valuable items for her boss Mackiel to auction off. Then one day he directs her to steal from an Eonian messenger in possession of memory chips. When the messenger comes to the auction house to retrieve what had been stolen, Keralie ingests the chips and sets off a chain of events that changes, not only her life, but changes all of Quardara. The four queens are dead.
We alternate between Keralie's pov and the povs of all the queens up to their deaths. Kera and the Eonian boy, Varin try to tell the palace about who might have done the murders. I really liked that Kera was a flawed character. She was allowed to be messy. I thought the world building was interesting. Quardara is split into four quadrants: Eonia, the land of stoics bent on technological advancement and abhor emotion; Archia, the fertile land that values simplicity and hard work; Toria, a land of trade and seafaring and values curiosity and knowledge; Ludia, the land of frivolity, pleasure, and art.
I love when a mystery can keep me guessing! I had no idea who was behind the murders until it was revealed, and the red herring had me. There was a little bit of romance between Kera and Varin, but it was very minor compared to the rest of the story. It also seemed to be a queer normative world, at least as far as same gender romance.
This was a fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence
205z: Time and Salvation by Jason Michael Primrose
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: Violence, death of a parent, blood, gore
205Z: Time and Salvation by Jason Michael Primrose is a scifi novel set in the year 2052 with the end of the world imminent in 215 days. This was kind of like a super hero story with a post-apocalyptic bent. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be.
We follow Allister Adams, a Black boy with potentials that make him super strong, fast, and gives him the ability to regenerate, making him an Evolutionary. He also has access to something called Z-Energy that is triggered by certain alien phrases. Allister gets caught between two organizations who claim they are trying to save the world by using his potentials to find alien artifacts left behind from their initial arrival. He is thrown headlong into some timey-wimey alien stuff and must learn fast in order to save the people he loves.
Let's start with what I liked. I love that we have a Black boy main character in a scifi superhero story by a gay man. There was so much diversity in the characters with power Black and Brown women, Asian characters, and disabled characters. The different powers (or potentials) everyone had, including the villains, were so fascinating. I also have a special edition of this book that is all blue with blue sprayed edges to reflect the Z-Energy. The special edition also came with a whole bunch of character cards. There are also a lot of pictures inside the book, giving us a glimpse of the various characters and their action scenes.
What I didn't like. This book was way too freaking long! Honestly, this either needed to be shorter or split into two books. There was so much happening and too many different pov chapters. It was also very plot heavy with very little in the way of character moments. I found Allister to be annoying, naive, and a bit one note. We kept being told how much of a genius he was without anything ever backing that up. I found his story about wanting to belong and accepted a bit boring, and would have rather learned more about Leesa Delemar who had a very complicated relationship with her father.
There was simultaneously too much happening and not enough information about each of the characters. I also don't feel like I totally understand the aliens, why they were there in the first place, and how these people became Evolutionaries. I don't know if there will be another book after this, but I felt like the story wasn't resolved. Although I did find out at the end that this was technically a prequel, but the author has asked us to forget about the first book?
Honestly, I'm just glad it's over.
205Z: Time and Salvation by Jason Michael Primrose is a scifi novel set in the year 2052 with the end of the world imminent in 215 days. This was kind of like a super hero story with a post-apocalyptic bent. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be.
We follow Allister Adams, a Black boy with potentials that make him super strong, fast, and gives him the ability to regenerate, making him an Evolutionary. He also has access to something called Z-Energy that is triggered by certain alien phrases. Allister gets caught between two organizations who claim they are trying to save the world by using his potentials to find alien artifacts left behind from their initial arrival. He is thrown headlong into some timey-wimey alien stuff and must learn fast in order to save the people he loves.
Let's start with what I liked. I love that we have a Black boy main character in a scifi superhero story by a gay man. There was so much diversity in the characters with power Black and Brown women, Asian characters, and disabled characters. The different powers (or potentials) everyone had, including the villains, were so fascinating. I also have a special edition of this book that is all blue with blue sprayed edges to reflect the Z-Energy. The special edition also came with a whole bunch of character cards. There are also a lot of pictures inside the book, giving us a glimpse of the various characters and their action scenes.
What I didn't like. This book was way too freaking long! Honestly, this either needed to be shorter or split into two books. There was so much happening and too many different pov chapters. It was also very plot heavy with very little in the way of character moments. I found Allister to be annoying, naive, and a bit one note. We kept being told how much of a genius he was without anything ever backing that up. I found his story about wanting to belong and accepted a bit boring, and would have rather learned more about Leesa Delemar who had a very complicated relationship with her father.
There was simultaneously too much happening and not enough information about each of the characters. I also don't feel like I totally understand the aliens, why they were there in the first place, and how these people became Evolutionaries. I don't know if there will be another book after this, but I felt like the story wasn't resolved. Although I did find out at the end that this was technically a prequel, but the author has asked us to forget about the first book?
Honestly, I'm just glad it's over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Malice by Heather Walter
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: blood, violence, child abuse mention, torture, sexual content
Malice by Heather Walter is book one in the Malice Duology. This is a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling that was absolutely incredible. Instead of following a princess, we follow the villain, and see how she became the monster everyone always insisted she was.
We follow Alyce, a Dark Grace living in Briar. Unlike all the golden blooded Graces whose powers are of the light, Alyce's blood is the green of the Vila, a dark fae. She is ostracized and reviled all the while nobles paying her to create curses. She and the other Graces are chained by the king. Alyce has never known kindness until she meets Princess Aurora, who shows her that she doesn't have to be the monster they make her out to be.
All the princesses in Aurora's family have been cursed to die at age 21 by a powerful Vila centuries ago, but the Fae of Etheria softened it so that true love's kiss can break it. Alyce and Aurora set out to break the curse and fight against everything Aurora's father has done to the kingdom. Meanwhile, Alyce is learning the true extent of her powers.
This book is so full of rage. I love that the author made an MC that isn't beautiful and sweet and "good". Alyce may have become villainous, but she could only be what everyone in the kingdom made her. I did guess a couple of twists, but it didn't make it less enjoyable. I loved Alyce's relationship with Aurora, and I loved that Aurora wasn't just a helpless damsel in distress.
We left off on a major cliffhanger, and now I really need book two!
Malice by Heather Walter is book one in the Malice Duology. This is a sapphic Sleeping Beauty retelling that was absolutely incredible. Instead of following a princess, we follow the villain, and see how she became the monster everyone always insisted she was.
We follow Alyce, a Dark Grace living in Briar. Unlike all the golden blooded Graces whose powers are of the light, Alyce's blood is the green of the Vila, a dark fae. She is ostracized and reviled all the while nobles paying her to create curses. She and the other Graces are chained by the king. Alyce has never known kindness until she meets Princess Aurora, who shows her that she doesn't have to be the monster they make her out to be.
All the princesses in Aurora's family have been cursed to die at age 21 by a powerful Vila centuries ago, but the Fae of Etheria softened it so that true love's kiss can break it. Alyce and Aurora set out to break the curse and fight against everything Aurora's father has done to the kingdom. Meanwhile, Alyce is learning the true extent of her powers.
This book is so full of rage. I love that the author made an MC that isn't beautiful and sweet and "good". Alyce may have become villainous, but she could only be what everyone in the kingdom made her. I did guess a couple of twists, but it didn't make it less enjoyable. I loved Alyce's relationship with Aurora, and I loved that Aurora wasn't just a helpless damsel in distress.
We left off on a major cliffhanger, and now I really need book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Child abuse
Night Briars by Taryn Tyler
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: death, suicide, sexual assault, blood, animal cruelty mention, animal death
Night Briars by Taryn Tyler is book two in the Snow and Rose duology. This was a continuation of Snow and Rose's story. A story of what happened after the happily ever after. Although shorter, I liked this one a lot more. It was faster paced and kept me on my toes with the twists.
Snow and Rose are invited to King Otto's wedding in the north. Rose is reluctant while Snow looks forward to seeing her friend, but when they get there, their roles are reversed. Snow encounters Otto's betrothed, Princess Ava, and weird things start happening to her, leading her into madness. Snow just wants to go home. Rose finds she likes it in the castle, and wants to stay. She and Snow grow apart. Rose struggles with finding her magic and healing from her trauma.
This was such a heartbreaking story. It was a story about power in two ways: taking power from people and using it against them, and taking back your own power to become who you truly are. There is a miscommunication trope in here, but it's due to magic, so it didn't bother me as much. I somehow did not see that twist coming, and I was shook by how it turned out.
This may have been a short book, but it packed a punch. Rose's story focuses on what it is like for a survivor of sexual assault to find their way back to themselves, and let go of the shame and guilt. Snow's story was about not staying silent, and one of sacrifice. If you're looking for a short original take on fairytales, this is it.
Night Briars by Taryn Tyler is book two in the Snow and Rose duology. This was a continuation of Snow and Rose's story. A story of what happened after the happily ever after. Although shorter, I liked this one a lot more. It was faster paced and kept me on my toes with the twists.
Snow and Rose are invited to King Otto's wedding in the north. Rose is reluctant while Snow looks forward to seeing her friend, but when they get there, their roles are reversed. Snow encounters Otto's betrothed, Princess Ava, and weird things start happening to her, leading her into madness. Snow just wants to go home. Rose finds she likes it in the castle, and wants to stay. She and Snow grow apart. Rose struggles with finding her magic and healing from her trauma.
This was such a heartbreaking story. It was a story about power in two ways: taking power from people and using it against them, and taking back your own power to become who you truly are. There is a miscommunication trope in here, but it's due to magic, so it didn't bother me as much. I somehow did not see that twist coming, and I was shook by how it turned out.
This may have been a short book, but it packed a punch. Rose's story focuses on what it is like for a survivor of sexual assault to find their way back to themselves, and let go of the shame and guilt. Snow's story was about not staying silent, and one of sacrifice. If you're looking for a short original take on fairytales, this is it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: torture, death of a parent, death of a child mention, grief, sexual assault, animal death
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler is book one in the Snow and Rose series. This was a YA sapphic retelling of three fairytales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed this story, but I did think the pacing was a bit off. The first part and last part of the book were pretty good, but the middle dragged a bit.
We start off by following Snow, a princess shut up in her room overcome with grief over the death of her father. She starts sneaking out and learns to hunt and chop wood from the Hunter Hans. Finally, Snow realizes that she is being kept in her room by her step-mother Lucille, who wants her dead. She eventually runs away and finds a cottage in the woods.
Then we follow Rose, a village girl who spins thread. When her grandmother doesn't show up like she usually does, Rose sets off into the wood in her red cloak to find her. She encounters ghosts in the wood along with creepy guy Boris (Lucille's son), and finds her grandmother's mutilated body at her cottage. Rose is about to be attacked by a werewolf when Snow steps in and saves her. We get to see their relationship blossom.
I liked the way Tyler blended these fairytales together. She even included the seven dwarves as ill tempered hobgoblins. It was a pretty short read, under 200 pages. I will be reading the next book, Night Briars.
Snow Roses by Taryn Tyler is book one in the Snow and Rose series. This was a YA sapphic retelling of three fairytales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed this story, but I did think the pacing was a bit off. The first part and last part of the book were pretty good, but the middle dragged a bit.
We start off by following Snow, a princess shut up in her room overcome with grief over the death of her father. She starts sneaking out and learns to hunt and chop wood from the Hunter Hans. Finally, Snow realizes that she is being kept in her room by her step-mother Lucille, who wants her dead. She eventually runs away and finds a cottage in the woods.
Then we follow Rose, a village girl who spins thread. When her grandmother doesn't show up like she usually does, Rose sets off into the wood in her red cloak to find her. She encounters ghosts in the wood along with creepy guy Boris (Lucille's son), and finds her grandmother's mutilated body at her cottage. Rose is about to be attacked by a werewolf when Snow steps in and saves her. We get to see their relationship blossom.
I liked the way Tyler blended these fairytales together. She even included the seven dwarves as ill tempered hobgoblins. It was a pretty short read, under 200 pages. I will be reading the next book, Night Briars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Child death
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 ⭐ CW: violence, death of a parent, death of a child, misogyny, ableism, sexual content, war
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is book one in The Radiant Emperor duology. This book came highly recommended from bookstagram, but I gotta, I was disappointed. This definitely didn't live up to the hype for me, and it makes me nervous to read the other "sapphic trifecta" books.
We follow Zhu, a girl who loses both her father and brother, and assumes her brother's identity in order to gain the fate he was told: that Zhu Chongba had greatness in his future. With that goal in mind, Zhu becomes a monk, and continues to strive for that greatness she believes is her fate. She eventually becomes embroiled in the fight between the rebels of the Red Turbans and the ruling Mongols, using her cunning.
This story is an exploration of gender identity using the historical lens of the Ming dynasty in the 1300s. Zhu has lived almost all of her life as a man, and only really has to confront that after she becomes married to Ma Xiuying. It's also a story about Zhu's ambition and belief in herself. She is stalwart throughout the book about what she wants, and will do anything to get it. I did appreciate the relationship between Zhu and Ma. Ma discovering she is attracted to Zhu, because she is a woman, and Zhu seeming to be asexual and also having a bit of body dysphoria. We get the sense that Zhu is probably genderqueer.
This was a beautifully written historical fiction book, but it was so slow. I thought it would have more action and be more character focused, but I just wanted it to end sooner than it did. We also follow a whole lot of characters and the transitions were a bit jarring at times. I don't think I'll read the second book.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is book one in The Radiant Emperor duology. This book came highly recommended from bookstagram, but I gotta, I was disappointed. This definitely didn't live up to the hype for me, and it makes me nervous to read the other "sapphic trifecta" books.
We follow Zhu, a girl who loses both her father and brother, and assumes her brother's identity in order to gain the fate he was told: that Zhu Chongba had greatness in his future. With that goal in mind, Zhu becomes a monk, and continues to strive for that greatness she believes is her fate. She eventually becomes embroiled in the fight between the rebels of the Red Turbans and the ruling Mongols, using her cunning.
This story is an exploration of gender identity using the historical lens of the Ming dynasty in the 1300s. Zhu has lived almost all of her life as a man, and only really has to confront that after she becomes married to Ma Xiuying. It's also a story about Zhu's ambition and belief in herself. She is stalwart throughout the book about what she wants, and will do anything to get it. I did appreciate the relationship between Zhu and Ma. Ma discovering she is attracted to Zhu, because she is a woman, and Zhu seeming to be asexual and also having a bit of body dysphoria. We get the sense that Zhu is probably genderqueer.
This was a beautifully written historical fiction book, but it was so slow. I thought it would have more action and be more character focused, but I just wanted it to end sooner than it did. We also follow a whole lot of characters and the transitions were a bit jarring at times. I don't think I'll read the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, and War
Moderate: Ableism
They Called Us Enemy by Steven Scott, George Takei, Justin Eisinger
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: racism/racial slurs
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Harmony Becker is a nonfiction graphic novel telling the story of George Takei's family and his experience with the Japanese-American internment camps.
This was such a great way to introduce people to the history of the Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. I see so much written about or TV shows or movies talking about WWII, but I almost never see things talking about this. I think people forget that America has a long history of locking innocent people up due to their race or beliefs. Takie is of the mind that if we don't remember and talk about these histories, we are doomed to repeat it.
And he is right. We did just that when America started kicking up immigrants at the US-Mexico border, putting children in cages, and banning people coming to this country from Muslim countries. Takei tells about the awful conditions his family and others were forced into, simply because they were of Japanese dissent. He also emphasizes the importance of democracy and participating in that democracy. Although the US has madeany considerable mistakes, the fact that we are able to speak out about them and work against them, makes democracy worth it.
I urge you to read this graphic novel to get a taste of what things were like for Japanese-Americans. I appreciate George Takei so much for writing this and creating a play about this as well. It's no shock, I'm most familiar with him for his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series. He's also a proud gay man, who fought for marriage equality. He is an example of someone using their platform to advocate for important causes, and never stay silent.
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Harmony Becker is a nonfiction graphic novel telling the story of George Takei's family and his experience with the Japanese-American internment camps.
This was such a great way to introduce people to the history of the Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. I see so much written about or TV shows or movies talking about WWII, but I almost never see things talking about this. I think people forget that America has a long history of locking innocent people up due to their race or beliefs. Takie is of the mind that if we don't remember and talk about these histories, we are doomed to repeat it.
And he is right. We did just that when America started kicking up immigrants at the US-Mexico border, putting children in cages, and banning people coming to this country from Muslim countries. Takei tells about the awful conditions his family and others were forced into, simply because they were of Japanese dissent. He also emphasizes the importance of democracy and participating in that democracy. Although the US has madeany considerable mistakes, the fact that we are able to speak out about them and work against them, makes democracy worth it.
I urge you to read this graphic novel to get a taste of what things were like for Japanese-Americans. I appreciate George Takei so much for writing this and creating a play about this as well. It's no shock, I'm most familiar with him for his role as Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series. He's also a proud gay man, who fought for marriage equality. He is an example of someone using their platform to advocate for important causes, and never stay silent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism