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thebackcatalogue's reviews
18 reviews
Sexiled: My Sexist Party Leader Kicked Me Out, So I Teamed Up With a Mythical Sorceress! Volume 2 by Ameko Kaeruda
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Ameko Kaeruda continues to be an auto-buy author for me as she continues to pump out campy, fun, and feminist GL novels. In the conclusion of Sexiled, we watch our heroines smash the patriarchy with their love in a good old revenge plot. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexism, Child abuse, Incest, and Misogyny
Depicted: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual Harassment, Child Abuse (Physical), Pseudo-Incestual Plot Elements, Attempted Forced Arranged Marriage, Violence
The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Amulet with its cast of loveable but flawed protagonists weaves a story that is both whimsical and hard hitting to read about the perils of superpowers and leadership. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Death, and Violence
Depicted: Death of a Parent, Vehicle Accidents (Car and Air), Kidnapping, Violence, Poisoning, Mind Control and Manipulation, Death
Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Zabé Ellor’s first foray into Adult SFF is an overly ambitious novel of revenge that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Characters often flip-flop between motivations, and his world overstuffed with elements. Silk Fire is a confusing read that doesn’t live up to the author’s ambitions. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, and Violence
Graphic: Sexual Content, Rape, Sexual Assault
Depicted: Violence, Homophobia, Gendered Violence (on Men), Sexism, Gender Essentialism
Mentioned: Forced Marriage (Male to Female)
The Hunt Is on by Nie Jun
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Seekers of the Aweto is a beautiful watercolour illustrated story of two brothers who slowly begin to drift apart as they realise their own goals and morals don’t match. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Grief, Blood, and Death of parent
Depicted: Violence, Death, Beheading
Mentioned: Death of a Parent, Grief, Blood
Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Starting with the intriguing concept of a reimagining of Sigurd and Brynhild following lesbian protagonist Aydis as she and Brynhild fights against the oppressive patriarchal Viking clans. However, our two protagonists are quickly separated and go on separate journeys of self-discovery, weakening later revelations in the plot. And Alterici’s art style often portrays women in a voyeuristic and fan service way which only leans into the themes she is trying to tackle rather than dismantle them. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Violence, Misogyny, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Body horror, and Rape
Graphic: Nudity
Depicted: Violence, Death, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Sexual Content
Mentioned: Body Horror, Rape, Slavery, Religious Bigotry, Racism
Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Hell Followed With Us is a visceral look at the harm of Evangelical Christianity through the lens of horror, ecofascist dystopia, and the trans experience. It aims to drive a knife right into your chest and delivers. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Transphobia, Body horror, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Deadnaming
Minor: Sexual content
Graphic: Body Horror, Transphobia, Gore, Gun Violence, Virus that Turns your body inside out
Depicted: Deadnaming, Death of a Parent, Domestic Abuse
Mentioned: Sexual Situations
Paloma by BéKa
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.0
The Misfits Club For Girls is the beginning of a great series that focuses on female friendship and its trials and tribulations. — Full Review on thebackcatalogue.substack.com
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Adoption & Foster Care Trauma
Depicted: Arson, Death of a Guardian
Mentioned: Harry Potter, Dy*e
The Third Eye by Sophia Stewart
Would I recommend you read it? Not really. Should you wish to investigate her claims on your own go ahead, it's available on Amazon. But, unless you like biblically structured storytelling it is very dry and uninteresting to read. The book is broken up into several sections a film treatment, a prose narrative (the point where I dnf'ed it that's more biblical structured), and photocopies of court documents. None of which proves her claims that the Wachowski Sisters ever copied her work. Attached below I have proved a link to both the Black Excellence and LA Times write up of her claims. Both articles debunk the common misconceptions about her story.
There are many people, especially Black people, who wanted the story to be true. It symbolized a Black person, especially a Black woman, finally winning against the system
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Sophia Stewart is claiming to invent something that many authors have already explored before her, the blend of spirituality and science fiction. Does this book resemble the Matrix - not at all. In fact, it more resembles a blend of first contact stories and biblical narrative than anything like the Matrix.
Would I recommend you read it? Not really. Should you wish to investigate her claims on your own go ahead, it's available on Amazon. But, unless you like biblically structured storytelling it is very dry and uninteresting to read. The book is broken up into several sections a film treatment, a prose narrative (the point where I dnf'ed it that's more biblical structured), and photocopies of court documents. None of which proves her claims that the Wachowski Sisters ever copied her work. Attached below I have proved a link to both the Black Excellence and LA Times write up of her claims. Both articles debunk the common misconceptions about her story.
There are many people, especially Black people, who wanted the story to be true. It symbolized a Black person, especially a Black woman, finally winning against the system
....
But the story is not true. Sophia Stewart did not become the richest Black person in the country. But that did not deter her from going on several shows and publications to tell her story
....
The conspiracy might always float around the internet as all conspiracies do, but this is an easy one to terminate.
-Black Excellence
-Black Excellence
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