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smartflutist661's reviews
1373 reviews
The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
The bodily autonomy bits were a bit on the nose, but perhaps surprisingly (or perhaps intentionally) it wasn't actually a major emphasis. I was also surprised how accurate the part of the blurb that references Amber was. It was a bit strange reading two books nearly back-to-back with such strong resemblances to childhood favorites. I would have like another... few books, probably... about what comes after they fix the Mokshi , though.
Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
adventurous
slow-paced
3.5
A fun science fantasy. I really liked the dual points of view and the way Tchaikovsky played with language between them. But in the end, just a very classic adventure, somewhat in the style of the Golden Age of sci-fi.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The author read Pern and said "I want to do that, but YA". Fortunately for her, Pern did something to my brain as a child. Not high literature, by any means, but I appreciated what was done differently—"tall, dark, and dangerous" was actually not really an asshole at all, whereas the childhood friend-turned-love-interest was kind of a dick for most of the book (and, weirdest of all, Violet knew it). I also appreciated that the (and this is hardly a spoiler) "I am in the uncontrollable throes of dragon lust" moment didn't turn out quite as rape-y as it was in Pern, looking back . If it weren't such a straight-up clone of Pern with, just, all the YA-semi-dystopia tropes, it might have snuck into 4.5 stars, but still very good.
Low Town by Daniel Polansky
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
A solid noir urban fantasy. I liked that the noir tone was driven by the same thing that it was in the 20s, a meat-grinder of a war + plague. It didn't do anything particularly special—the "twist" was that the childhood friend/almost-lover he hadn't seen for years was the evil mastermind all along! . The big clues that the evil wizard was a red herring (a torn page of names) and that it was Celia (the obvious "give me a few days to set this guy up" ploy) I don't think could have been more cliché, but this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Very much in the spirit of Hitchhiker's Guide, though with a bit more emotional backing: amusingly absurd, with a nice reflection on the "road not taken". For related watching, see the anime Legend of Black Heaven.
Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner
3.75
I loved Tsira and Jeckran, but thought Onna's chapters never quite got anywhere. Also the ending was a bit anticlimactic. An enjoyable enough read still. Also it took me a surprisingly long time to realize that troll society was just healthy dom/sub relationships .
Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
adventurous
lighthearted
4.0
Book 14 of one of the most consistent series I think I've ever read. Lightly twisty plot, realistic relationships, shapeshifting, a bit of violence, some intrigue. Doesn't fall into the power-creep trap, which is impressive in a series of this length and kind. Really, you know what you're getting at this point.