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spacerkip's reviews
254 reviews
The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a very character-focused novel, with flashbacks and tales of Chinese mythology interspersed throughout the main plot. As a result, the story is slow-building, and it takes a while for the conflict with the emperor's pirate hunter, Pak Ling, to manifest. Even still, the bulk of the novel deals with the politics of commanding a fleet and navigating alliances with other pirate leaders, rather than daring adventures or fearless yarns.
The story's introspection serves well to explore the many themes it introduces. Ambition vs love (romantic, platonic, or maternal). Pragmatism vs cruelty. What it means to take power and control for yourself when the only way is to steal it from those around you.
I'm not entirely sure why it didn't click with me, but there were quite a few things I liked. The setting at sea, for one. My experience with age of sail novels lies almost exclusively with stories about the British navy, so this was a refreshing change of pace, and I eagerly took in all the details about sailing in this part of the world. The historical backdrop was very interesting to me as well. Not only in the events taking place, but in the descriptions of each port Shek Yeung and the other characters visited, from the construction of buildings to the clothing worn to the different religious practices. I also enjoyed the firmly grey morality of the main character, Shek Yeung. She was not shown to be right or wrong or always justified, simply a person who lived (and learned to thrive) in very difficult situations.
If you are interested at all in Chinese piracy, I encourage you to give this a try!
The story's introspection serves well to explore the many themes it introduces. Ambition vs love (romantic, platonic, or maternal). Pragmatism vs cruelty. What it means to take power and control for yourself when the only way is to steal it from those around you.
I'm not entirely sure why it didn't click with me, but there were quite a few things I liked. The setting at sea, for one. My experience with age of sail novels lies almost exclusively with stories about the British navy, so this was a refreshing change of pace, and I eagerly took in all the details about sailing in this part of the world. The historical backdrop was very interesting to me as well. Not only in the events taking place, but in the descriptions of each port Shek Yeung and the other characters visited, from the construction of buildings to the clothing worn to the different religious practices. I also enjoyed the firmly grey morality of the main character, Shek Yeung. She was not shown to be right or wrong or always justified, simply a person who lived (and learned to thrive) in very difficult situations.
If you are interested at all in Chinese piracy, I encourage you to give this a try!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Colonisation, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Trafficking, Torture, Classism, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Drug use and Islamophobia
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Choosing not to give a rating because it feels weird to give a person's life story a numerical value.
The book is structured into different parts, each one an examination of the author's life through the lens of a figure from the Quran. I loved this method of storytelling, how it wove the different facets of Lamya's identity through the core of what she believes, how her dedication to her religion breathed life into her narrative. Though we grew up in very different contexts and come from very different worlds, there was a familiarity to their words I found quite comforting. I did not expect to feel such an intense kinship and solidarity with the author from the very first chapter.
Lamya grew up lesbian and Muslim. I grew up asexual and Catholic. Neither of us had the words to explain this thing about ourselves that we were different, so we used the language that we had: our religious upbringings. I was so surprised and touched to learn that across different religions and sexualities, the two of us both found something of ourselves in Maryam (who I knew as the Virgin Mary).
I no longer follow the religion I was raised in, but I still seek out stories like this. I love the unabashed devotion, the fight for nuance and intersectionality between religion and queerness, and the refusal to budge on either. They help to bridge the gaps that I was taught by my own religious leaders were too far to cross. Lamya's search for a faith community - or a community in general - mirrors my own search through my teenage years and through college. In following them on that journey, I caught glimmers of a thing I once had, and maybe (hopefully) will have again someday.
(Also worth mentioning - I read this on audiobook, and found the narrator to be very soothing and conversational, and it was very relaxing to listen to before bed.)
The book is structured into different parts, each one an examination of the author's life through the lens of a figure from the Quran. I loved this method of storytelling, how it wove the different facets of Lamya's identity through the core of what she believes, how her dedication to her religion breathed life into her narrative. Though we grew up in very different contexts and come from very different worlds, there was a familiarity to their words I found quite comforting. I did not expect to feel such an intense kinship and solidarity with the author from the very first chapter.
Lamya grew up lesbian and Muslim. I grew up asexual and Catholic. Neither of us had the words to explain this thing about ourselves that we were different, so we used the language that we had: our religious upbringings. I was so surprised and touched to learn that across different religions and sexualities, the two of us both found something of ourselves in Maryam (who I knew as the Virgin Mary).
I no longer follow the religion I was raised in, but I still seek out stories like this. I love the unabashed devotion, the fight for nuance and intersectionality between religion and queerness, and the refusal to budge on either. They help to bridge the gaps that I was taught by my own religious leaders were too far to cross. Lamya's search for a faith community - or a community in general - mirrors my own search through my teenage years and through college. In following them on that journey, I caught glimmers of a thing I once had, and maybe (hopefully) will have again someday.
(Also worth mentioning - I read this on audiobook, and found the narrator to be very soothing and conversational, and it was very relaxing to listen to before bed.)
Lancer: The Mech RPG Core Rulebook by Miguel Lopez, Tom Parkinson Morgan
5.0
I'm no ttrpg system connoisseur, so I can hardly speak to the rules and mechanics of this game. Be it video games, table top systems, or Monopoly, if game mechanics are a fried egg, my brain is the infomercial non-stick pan. What I <i>do</i> know, and can speak to, is that the world this book sets up is phenomenal. The game provides such a fun sandbox for your characters to be set loose in, and I adore the themes and questions it makes you grapple with during gameplay. The book itself features beautiful art and dozens of unique, diverse mech designs. I was brought into this game by a mutual friend, so can't say I've had much exposure to the mecha genre beforehand, but the descriptions and flavortexts provide so much character to the mechs and their equipment, and I'm genuinely excited to get into customization as my group levels up. There's been recent public interest in branching out beyond big-name ttrpgs like D&D, so you were interested in a science fiction indie game, I'd definitely check this one out!
True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by Shaun Simon, Gerard Way
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Wonderful art, compelling story - I just wish a little more time was spent with all the different plot elements. The story follows three different characters with three different stories that...sort of converge at the end. A lot of build-up, but not enough spent on the actual climax, in my opinion. Even just a few more pages spent on each plotline would have made them feel like they meshed together, instead of being three plot threads that just happen at the same time. I'll still read the next one in the series though - I really do enjoy the groundwork this comic (and the mcr ablum) laid, and I'm hoping for more story and more context.
Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 10 by Kamome Shirahama
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I feel a little bad about the three star rating, since. It's not the book's fault that the library classified it wrong and I didn't realize this was a romance lmao. But! I was very quickly enamored by the characters and the worldbuilding, and for what it was I found it quite enjoyable. Nothing in this book was *bad* or poorly done, simply not my cup of tea. I liked that the story took the time to introduce its two romantic leads before smooshing both of them together - either romantically or with the plot. The sensory details from Grace's pov were especially fascinating to me. It added so much depth to her character and kept readers grounded in the world around her. Smell isn't often used in books, and it's even less often used well. I appreciated the attention to detail, and how Grace's skills were always relevant and useful to the plot. Also very refreshing to have a male romantic lead smell like something other than "smoke and leather" haha. I plan on looking through other books by this author to see if there's something more up my alley, because I think I could enjoy her stuff a lot.
The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity
The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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