readsforlove's reviews
828 reviews

4.0

The Dragon Knight by Arioli Emanuele, Emiliano Tanzillo

Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

A quick, interesting comic about a missing chapter in arthurian legend. If you're a fan of legends, it's definitely worth the read! The story was bizarre and interesting, and I read it in one sitting. For a really old legend (several thousand years), the weird events and plot holes make sense, though I found Arthur to be needlessly cruel at first and Merlin was just a bumbling buffoon, which was a little annoying. Hard to really critique given that the story was reconstructed. I also found myself wondering after the races portrayed, and wondered why the majority of the cast was white, even though the main trio were not from the central Europe/London area like the other arthurian knights. I feel there was some lost potential to explore unheard stories there.
The whole concept of a dragon that only the MC could see that guided him to the hidden grail was really interesting though, and made for cool art.

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

Go to review page

5.0

This novel is so tender and touching--absolutely perfect for fans of the original book and movie! So many lines are exact, but the weight of everything is so different and moving due to Oliver's transness. It brings a whole new depths and clarity to the story, and makes Oliver's struggle to live in this time and society so heartwrenching. Yet even in all the heart ache and the seeming impossibility of living authentically, this book carries hope and joy along with it. We see so many moments of pure joy and euphoria as Oliver gets to express himself and live as himself. Joy accompanies the pain and discomfort of his life, making his fight for himself be held in an understandable light. We know why he's doing what he's doing, and we want to fight right alongside him.

Mild spoiler (related to coming out and something I, a queer person, would like to know going in)--no one that Oliver chooses to come out to has a huge negative reaction. He's not yelled at and kicked out of his home or anything like that. While the society is transphobic, and several characters are and his transness is discovered and he is forced to come out to his family, those whom he comes out to are ultimately supportive. I had a lot of trouble getting through the book because I was afraid there was going to be some big back lash about Oliver's transness, and would have enjoyed it more thoroughly if I had known the author wasn't going to do that. Having read Wicked Bargain by the same author, though, I should have trusted that I was in good hands.

All in all, this was a fantastic retelling that stayed mostly true to the plot of the original but with its own unique twists that really served to highlight the themes of the story and Oliver's journey as a trans person in the early 1800s.

Content Warnings