rg9400's reviews
229 reviews

Of Darkness and Light by Ryan Cahill

adventurous slow-paced

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

3.75

Of Darkness and Light takes the setup from Of Blood and Fire and cranks up the scale dramatically. The cast of perspectives increases significantly, and the story now follows multiple different cities, regions, conflicts, and organizations. Fans of the storytelling in Of Blood and Fire will certainly be pleased because it's a lot more of the same thing. For me though, I was left still feeling fairly mixed on this series. In some regards, I am coming to a realization that this classic style fantasy is not my thing, and I often was reminded of my attempts to read Wheel of Time which was similarly also not for me. I do feel like there are issues I have with the execution regardless, though I did also note some glimmers of promise. Also upfront, I found the themes and prose in this series to be very unremarkable, so I won't comment on those.

To start, the character roster is certainly a lot bigger. Initially, I was excited to move past our cast of 3 farmboys. However, I quickly realized an inescapable truth...despite jumping into the perspective of what felt like 30+ characters, we still get only ONE female perspective. A single one. And that perspective spends a lot of time moping around about a male character. There are a few female side-characters shown externally from other perspectives, but the ones that get the most screentime are mainly identified by being the object of affection of the male perspective at that time. There are some female badass characters we are given a glimpse of, and I certainly hope Cahill spends more time on them in future installments, because this vestige of classic fantasy should not carry forward. I understand that readers have different levels of sensitivity towards this type of imbalance, but personally speaking, it was far more noticeable to me in this book than pretty much anything else I've read in the past year. Beyond that, I did feel like a lot of the male characters felt interchangeable. Despite the high page count, not a lot of time is spent building character depth, so even though I get that it is hard to round out such a large cast, I do think the focus is not as centered on the characters. That said, I did find certain characters (who again have limited screentime) to have interesting backstories that made them much more compelling. And the new perspective from a character who is the main protagonist in the follow-up novella had much more inner conflict and complexity than most in this book. The main protagonist remains an archetype, though I did enjoy his relationship with his dragon. Overall, by the end of the book, I was starting to finally root for some characters, but especially considering the amount of pages, the character work in this series so far leaves a lot to be desired.

The plot is certainly where this book shines the most. I still feel like the pace moves very slowly, and the bloated page count tends to lead to more indulgent "character journeying from point A to point B" sections compared to something that was edited much tighter. But after finishing, I do think the book covered quite a bit of ground with various big setpieces. I am not an action driven reader, but the large battle sequences in this book will please fans looking for that sort of thing from their fantasy, especially because this series has no issue giving us tons of beloved classic fantasy elements thrown together from wizards to dragons to creatures to shapeshifters to elves and so on. I can see people who are frustrated with fantasy that tends to only give flashes of these elements to really enjoy this series which has no issue increasing the dose of these elements. The overarching story still feels a bit vague to me. I am not sure what I am looking towards because it mostly feels like characters going from one place to another due to circumstance, and the main conflict seems like the standard good vs evil conflict you'd find in classic fantasy. The ending did give a taste of the story going in a more interesting and unxpected direction though.

I am not a big worldbuilding-focused reader, so in terms of that, I don't have a ton to say. I do feel like a lot of the elements in this book are inspired by other well-known fantasy books, and it wears those inspirations on its sleeve. I don't mind that, but I am left wondering which element of this book feels like something it is *adding* into that list, what is that one thing that really represents The Bound and the Broken as a series versus as an amalgamation of all these other stories. I still don't know the answer to that. In terms of lore, it still feels a bit underdeveloped. I don't much care for lore, so this is honestly a plus for me. But when it came to understanding some of the organizations and political factions in some of the side-character stories, I struggled a bit to understand their role in the larger world. 

Overall, I am rating it higher than Of Blood and Fire because it definitely feels like a large improvement, but my core issues still remain. As a reader who prefers efficient and intentional writing, this series is maybe simply not for me. I am planning on reading the next novella, but I am not sure if I will do the 1500 chonker after it. Ryan Cahill seems like a great guy and an excellent member of the indie community. I am happy for his success, but I wanted to try and explore my thoughts after this book in a detailed review just to better understand where I stand on it myself.

Petition by Delilah Waan

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.75

I don't think I've really read fantasy that puts us in the perspective of a second-generation immigrant, and I found the protagonist's struggles with a supposedly "equal opportunity" city where privilege and class inevitably create barriers to be compelling. I also thought it created a nice dynamic between her and her mother. But most of all, I loved the different examinations she had to go through, especially when paired with a bunch of different characters with tons of personality. As the story progressed and we learn more about some of the insidious things happening in the background, I was glued to the book, especially as it took some darker turns. I do wish we got more with some of these moments because they were really engaging, and I feel like the book only gives us a few snippets of what is actually going on. It's also possible that I didn't understand some of it because some of the house names are a bit similar and easy to confuse for me (Isom, Issolm, Isonn) and while the magic system is very unique (all about emotions and the push/pull of seeking and obfuscating them across time and space), it is a bit technical with the reader getting thrown right into it. 

Regardless of those minor quibbles, I loved it and already have it on my best books of 2024 list. I am very glad I decided to check it out. Side note, it said book 2 was coming out in 2023, so would love to know where I can find it 

The Fall by Ryan Cahill

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book a lot more than Of Blood and Fire. Set across four different perspectives following the events that set up the main story in the series, I am able to see a glimpse of what this series can become, a showcase for epic action setpieces involving multiple different crazy fantasy elements.

Of Blood And Fire by Ryan Cahill

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I can see the potential in this series, but if I were to judge book 1 in a vacuum, I struggled with a variety of elements. First, the pacing is pretty slow. It might not feel that way for people coming from some of the more long-winded epic fantasy series, but for me, I found a lot of wasted time spent travelling from point A to point B without the sort of character work that made it more meaningful. Which leads me to my second criticism. The characters are, at this point, not particularly deep, nuanced, or unique. I think part of the problem is that the book as a whole seems to be pulling from some classical fantasy tropes, so our main protagonist is the standard farmboy MC in this book.  I was also a bit disappointed to see no real female characters (there is one, but she's given very little focus overall). The book focus seems to be more on plot and worldbuilding than characters and themes. A lot of this may not sound like negatives to people because it definitely feels like it's following in the footsteps of classic epic fantasy. That's just not really my cup of tea.

However. HOWEVER. I found the worldbuilding interesting enough, and I trust reviewers who swear by this series (like Petrik Leo and Esmay Rosalyne). Because of that, I will continue on with the series and hope to see some large improvements in these areas.

A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a nice quick read. It moved a lot faster than I was expecting, and because of that, I struggled to build the emotional connections to the characters that were required for some of the emotional beats to land. I think a good chunk of the first 75% of the book actually focuses more on plot, and if it had involved some of the more impactful reflections on grief throughout, it would have worked a bit better. But still, it was charming, especially the character of Gam Gam and worth the read.

No Safe Haven by James Lloyd Dulin

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

"Anger can be selfish, or it can be righteous...it cannot be both". 
"My grandmother used to say that anger was like driving a nail through wood with your thumb...the nail still needs to be pounded into the wood. I'd just rather not use my thumb."

This book and series are a fascinating meditation on anger, anger that you understand is fully justifiable, anger born from some truly horrific and traumatic acts of colonial violence. Yet throughout, the characters are challenged to examine their anger specifically from the perspective of how it impacts themselves and those around them. It's a complex and challenging approach, and one that I found myself constantly reflecting on. 

No Safe Haven continues from where the first book left off, showcasing Kaylo's growth into the person he is today, and how the girl he happened to save is following his earlier journey, but with subtle changes as she learns from his story. This book also introduces some other POV characters, though they do not get nearly as much limelight. I had mentioned in my review of the first book that the past and present storylines weren't exactly balanced, but I found this book to balance the two different time periods pretty well.

If I had one criticism, it would be that a lot of the side characters felt very flat to me. I think Kaylo and Tayen are layered and nuanced, but most of the other ones fill specific plot requirements more than being their own characters.

Regardless, I think this is a moving, intimate series exploring a very specific emotion (anger) in a variety of different lights.

No Heart For A Thief by James Lloyd Dulin

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

This book is told across two different time periods. There is a main character's past and history as well as the present day framing story where he helps a young girl, all centered around their attempts at surviving in a world of colonial violence. I found the story to be fairly intimate and powerful, and the themes regarding the desire for vengeance, the frustration and anger at the horrors of colonialism, and the need for balance to be very compelling. I also really liked the idea of the main character's magical ability being considered taboo as it gives an interesting identity crises on top of the core themes. My two nitpick criticisms would be that the book sort of just ends in an anti-climactic fashion, and the story focuses more on the past portion than the present, so one side of the story (and consequently, the characters within it) is definitely more developed. Regardless, it is a strong start to a series, and I am already starting the sequel which I've heard is even better.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I would break this review into 3 sections. The first is the underlying story that the entire story is supposedly about, the Navidson Record, the story of Will Navidson and his family. The second is the framing story, the story of our narrator Johnny Truant who has discovered this work and is presenting it to us. The third is the formatting and structure, the story presented to us through the editing and collection of Zampano.

1. The Navidson Record is actually a fairly strong story by itself. The way the mysteries behind the house unfold, the slow generation of unease and horror, and even the character dynamics and developments throughout were very engaging and compelling. When the story was purely centered on the actual narrative, I found the book enjoyable and entertaining. There is a lot more to this book than just that though, and I wanted to start the review by focusing on this, because if the book had purely just been a straightforward horror story, I think it would have been much better.

2. I found the story around Johnny Truant to be fairly banal and pointless. The vast majority of his story is centered around his various sexual exploits which I found completely uninteresting. His deteriorating mental stability was better, though I found the atmospheric impact from the underlying story mentioned above to be far better than that from Truant's footnotes. Also, to be frank, his story doesn't really go anywhere and ends in a weird and anticlimactic way that was extremely frustrating. I did enjoy some of the appendices related to Truant, namely letters between him and his mother, but that's honestly about it.

3. House of Leaves is most famous for its weird formatting. There are a variety of components, from the sort of academic nature of the writing which references a variety of other works via footnotes, "analysis" from supposed experts on what is happening in the story, appendices and exhibits of supplementary materials, missing or redacted information, and strange layouts for the text. To some degree, this was a mixed bag for me. Is it pretentious and just a gimmick? 100%. I did find some of the textual layouts to work in tandem with the story, and I do think they helped aid in conveying the vibes of those passages. But that's about it. I found the footnotes to be tiring, and after a certain point, I stopped even registering them. Maybe there is an underlying critique of academic works and scholarships in general, but to me, it seemed completely superfluous. I found the various analyses often broke up the flow of the story, though I did like the way they would reference the visual home documentary nature of the Navidson Record and use that to analyze the mindframe of the main characters at times. Knowing there was missing information was extremely frustrating to me. I do not see the point of it at all. Finally, the supplementary material could have been cool, but I found it to not be synthesized into the story very effectively. It often felt very random and disconnected instead of being something that enriched my reading of certain parts. 

Overall, I think House of Leaves is a potentially very good horror book, mired in a bunch of smoke and mirrors to make it seem more than it really is. To some degree, being experimental is something I would encourage, but this book takes it to such an extreme that reading it becomes a chore. And the novelty of those experiments often feel for the sake of novelty or to make it seem more intelligent than it actually is. It was certainly a unique reading experience, but the story is not one that will stick with me because of it, even though I think it could have had it not tried to be so unique in the first place. Ultimately, how much you enjoy this book will be based on how much you weigh the importance of the experience vs the actual story.  

These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

These Burning Stars is a fascinating read that I highly recommend. It's a cat and mouse game across multiple years and planets with fascinating character dynamics and multiple plots and schemes. Jun and Chono are strong characters whose motivations are layered and slowly uncovered, but it is Esek Nightfoot that steals the show for me. Bombastic, chaotic, and deeply obsessive over a mysterious figure named Six. This book jumps between tenses and time periods, slowly exposing the political setup and conspiracies that lay the bedrock of this story, and fair warning, there are tough topics discussed such as genocide. However, it is the characters and their relationships that really made this book such a stellar read for me. Also, it has an interesting approach to gender and queerness that I appreciated.

Defiant by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous 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? Yes

4.5

There are some specific plot things that did not work for me in this book regarding how certain arcs regarding various antagonists were resolved. But honestly, this is minor because I was very impressed by how this book took Spensa's journey over the last 3 (very diverse) books, and managed to tie her character arc together extremely well. I found her reflections and growth from the first book to be strong and poignant, and so despite my plot-oriented criticisms, I give this book higher marks