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sunfishcakes's reviews
254 reviews
The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
4.0
I really liked this book! Beautiful prose and nice to have a retelling that has a distinct perspective and take on the original novel without also feeling like it wanted to fix it. Also great to read a retelling for adults that's sexy.
I'm a bit hit or miss when it comes to prose that gets a bit abstract (but based on interviews, I respect Vo's stylistic intentionality of it), and I mostly enjoyed it, though at other times it was a bit distracting. And the more I think on it, I love the ending twist. Just great stuff.
I'm a bit hit or miss when it comes to prose that gets a bit abstract (but based on interviews, I respect Vo's stylistic intentionality of it), and I mostly enjoyed it, though at other times it was a bit distracting. And the more I think on it, I love the ending twist. Just great stuff.
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
4.0
One thing I find interesting about this book is that its premise leads you to think that this is going to be noncon/dubcon-ville on fantasy BDSM planet, and there are....elements of that, but it's really more straightforwardly about two guys who hate each other coming to be tenuous political allies.
Submission kink plays a lot less of a role than I thought it would, which was a pleasant surprise. It's present in other minor characters that make its overall abesence clear and I can tell the author is definitely into submission, but it seems more like subtextual bait than actual erotic fantasies. The actual emotional terrain for Damen is more like if he was a stranded spy stuck walking on eggshells 24/7 while (unwillingly) becoming more intimate with his political enemy. Laurent may be malicious and sadistic towards Damen, but he doesn't exactly get his rocks off doing what he does. The bitterness and anger they both hold against each other is much more platonic and the story is stronger for that.
This doesn't mean there aren't questionable avenues or eroticized taboo dynamics, but Pacat seems intent on trying to do something more complex and sturdy than making a fetish-fueled vehicle that can only exist within the realms of sexual fantasy go beep beep. And I do think she mostly succeeds.
Submission kink plays a lot less of a role than I thought it would, which was a pleasant surprise. It's present in other minor characters that make its overall abesence clear and I can tell the author is definitely into submission, but it seems more like subtextual bait than actual erotic fantasies. The actual emotional terrain for Damen is more like if he was a stranded spy stuck walking on eggshells 24/7 while (unwillingly) becoming more intimate with his political enemy. Laurent may be malicious and sadistic towards Damen, but he doesn't exactly get his rocks off doing what he does. The bitterness and anger they both hold against each other is much more platonic and the story is stronger for that.
This doesn't mean there aren't questionable avenues or eroticized taboo dynamics, but Pacat seems intent on trying to do something more complex and sturdy than making a fetish-fueled vehicle that can only exist within the realms of sexual fantasy go beep beep. And I do think she mostly succeeds.
Eiji and Shiro: From Zeroes to Heroes by Kaya Azuma
1.5
I'm not sure why this isn't advertised as a short story collection? I was already disappointed that it wasn't solely a one shot story about mob (background) characters but then the actual story in question was just....kinda boring! And so were the other stories. I could've maybe vibed with the final two-parter twisted teacher/student story being intentionally dark and toxic, but then it doesn't quite commit. Unfortunate!
It's a shame the writing is what it is when the visual art is quite skilled. Just some clean and appealing stuff all around. But then that sort of pleasant, easy on the eyes style kind of works against itself by exposing how generic and flimsy the writing is.
It's a shame the writing is what it is when the visual art is quite skilled. Just some clean and appealing stuff all around. But then that sort of pleasant, easy on the eyes style kind of works against itself by exposing how generic and flimsy the writing is.