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Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Did not finish book. Stopped at 65%.
I read this book expecting to read about the people visiting the pawnshop, giving up their regrets, and how that impacted their lives. I also expected to get more about the owners of the pawnshop, what living in the pawnshop was like, and what they did with the regrets they collected. But instead there was a romance with a love triangle and a mystery of a missing father.
I also think that a lot of whether the book is liked or not will come down to how the reader feels about the romance. I personally found it off-putting. There is insta-lust, the love triangle, and lots of lack of communication and lying. Once the romance is introduced, it takes the focus of the plot and the mystery. It is a shame because I found the beginning of the story to be so engaging. Also there isn't a whole lot of character development so emotional resonance is practically non-existent.
At the 65% mark, I finally admitted to myself that I was really struggling to continue. So I took a break to read other reviews to give myself a push to finish. I was entertained and confused when three different reviewers gave different descriptions and meanings to the ending. How could it be that confusing? So I skipped ahead a did something I never do - read the ending. And I was confused too. What I did understand seemed angsty and immature. So I abandoned ship at that point and still wish someone could explain the ending to me satisfactorily. Arrrrr!
Did not finish book. Stopped at 65%.
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . . .
The stunning cover and premise led me to this book. In Tokyo there is a magic pawnshop that cannot be found. Some people enter a popular ramen restaurant only to find themselves transported to the pawnshop. In this pawnshop, you can't pawn belongings but regrets.
I read this book expecting to read about the people visiting the pawnshop, giving up their regrets, and how that impacted their lives. I also expected to get more about the owners of the pawnshop, what living in the pawnshop was like, and what they did with the regrets they collected. But instead there was a romance with a love triangle and a mystery of a missing father.
The highlights of the book for me were the descriptions of places in the pawnshop world. There was an ink world inside a scroll, living paper cranes holding pieces of history in a museum, and a town that build the night sky out of dreams and wishes. Travel could happen by jumping in a puddle. All of these places were evocative. That said, the characters don't spend any time truly exploring them. They run from place to place. Also the inner workings of the pawnshop world seemed to have no real internal logic, rules, or world building.
I also think that a lot of whether the book is liked or not will come down to how the reader feels about the romance. I personally found it off-putting. There is insta-lust, the love triangle, and lots of lack of communication and lying. Once the romance is introduced, it takes the focus of the plot and the mystery. It is a shame because I found the beginning of the story to be so engaging. Also there isn't a whole lot of character development so emotional resonance is practically non-existent.
At the 65% mark, I finally admitted to myself that I was really struggling to continue. So I took a break to read other reviews to give myself a push to finish. I was entertained and confused when three different reviewers gave different descriptions and meanings to the ending. How could it be that confusing? So I skipped ahead a did something I never do - read the ending. And I was confused too. What I did understand seemed angsty and immature. So I abandoned ship at that point and still wish someone could explain the ending to me satisfactorily. Arrrrr!
Like Thunder by Nnedi Okorafor
challenging
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Ahoy there me mateys! I usually love Okorafor's work so I was extremely surprised at how hard it was to finish this duology. I got both books from the publisher back in 2023. I managed to read and enjoy about half of Shadow Speaker before I stalled. I tried multiple times to finish part one and just couldn't get back into the story. That brings us to 2025. I decided to get copies of the audiobooks and try again. Dele Ogundiran's narration was excellent and helped me finish the series but I ended up being lukewarm about the duology after completing it.
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor
challenging
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
3.5
Ahoy there me mateys! I usually love Okorafor's work so I was extremely surprised at how hard it was to finish this duology. I got both books from the publisher back in 2023. I managed to read and enjoy about half of Shadow Speaker before I stalled. I tried multiple times to finish part one and just couldn't get back into the story. That brings us to 2025. I decided to get copies of the audiobooks and try again. Dele Ogundiran's narration was excellent and helped me finish the series but I ended up being lukewarm about the duology after completing it.
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
Part One deals with Ejii Ugabe whose father is killed when she is 9 due to his backward politics. He wants the world to harken to "traditional" values where men dominate and women are second-class citizens and magic of all types is forbidden. The problem is that the Great Change brought magic into the world and magic doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Later Ejii is 15 and has developed shadow speaker abilities. Ejii goes on an adventure to figure out her powers and gets drawn into helping avert war.
Part Two deals with Dikéogu Obidimkpa. He and Ejii became friends in part one. Several years have passed and Dikéogu has to deal with his rainmaker powers. The first section of the book explains the his history of the past several years. The current problem is that the former slave seems to be losing his mind. The temporary peace is about to end and magic users are being slaughtered. Dikéogu decides to fight back.
One of the major problems I had with this duology was connecting to the characters. I often liked them but more often had a hard time sympathizing with them. Both Ejii and Dikéogu can be extremely violent and hurt a lot of people. I get when it is self-defense but lots of times, the two of them just lose control. There did not seem to be enough self-awareness psychologically. Of course they were just struggling to survive. I also thought the romantic relationship between Ejii and Dikéogu was awful. I wish they just would have stayed best friends.
Perhaps some of this comes down to world building in general. Niger in 2074 is not very nice. There are tribal disputes, gender disparages, prejudice about magic users, child slavery, and immense poverty. These elements have also existed as long as humans have but reading about them in this duology set far into the future was unsettling. Also the magic did not make sense a lot of the time. Meditation seemed to be important but a lot of it seemed intuitive with no real rules. This magic exists in other Okorafor books but only bothered me in this one. Then there were the interconnected universes. I am still unclear about how they worked or really related to each other.
I did like some aspects of these books. I loved the personalities of the camels and the bird friends. I liked the developments between Dikéogu and Arif. I really appreciated Ajii's mother. I liked Dikéogu's brief happy relationship though I was sad it ended for the plot romance with Ajii. I appreciated Dikéogu getting to fight the slavers and save children. I always appreciate strong willed women in Okorafor's stories.
Unfortunately I felt underwhelmed and ultimately confused at the conclusion of the duology. I am glad to have finally completed it though. Arrrr!
The Oxygen Farmer by Colin Holmes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ahoy there me mateys! This sci-fi read was a random pick from the local library because I liked the title and the cover. The premise is that on the Moon a cranky old man named Millennium Harrison trips (literally) over a secret bunker that has leaking radiation. Shenanigans ensue.
This was a very uneven read but there was a lot to like here. I loved Harrison who just wants to be left alone and occasionally talk to the few people he likes. He is extremely self-sufficient, caring under his gruff exterior, and intelligent. I also enjoy an older protagonist and at 80 years old Mil fits the bill. The reason for his name and fame were silly and fun. He is the oxygen farmer of the title.
The set-up about Harrison's job and how the Moon is run was lovely. I liked reading about the oxygen farming and how the technology is shifting. I enjoyed hearing about the history of the developing the Moon and how the next push is Mars. Then there is the family drama. Mil is estranged from his daughter who just happens to be the head of the Space Program. Mil's discovery leads to his granddaughter being in hot water. Watching those relationships play out were entertaining and somewhat poignant. Mil (and his attitude) were the highlight for me.
The two biggest issues of the book come down to the second half. All of the politics on Earth and the plot that takes place there were not very interesting to me. Part of this is that I felt like I was reading about the Cold War 2.0 where all Russians are evil and humans have learned absolutely nothing from past conflicts. There is also a capitalism is evil plot that wasn't particularly thought out. I also didn't really like how the radiation problem was being dealt with in general.
But the absolute biggest disappointment was the ending.***MINOR SPOILER*** Mil is put into a deep sleep and when he wakes up he is TOLD how all the politics and conflicts were fixed. How boring is that? The main character isn't even really involved in the entire resolution!
I am not sad that I read this book but I do feel like it could have been immensely improved. If 1950s cold war type stories or movies like Armageddon float yer boat then this may work better for ye. If not, I am not sure I can recommend it in general. Arrrr!
This was a very uneven read but there was a lot to like here. I loved Harrison who just wants to be left alone and occasionally talk to the few people he likes. He is extremely self-sufficient, caring under his gruff exterior, and intelligent. I also enjoy an older protagonist and at 80 years old Mil fits the bill. The reason for his name and fame were silly and fun. He is the oxygen farmer of the title.
The set-up about Harrison's job and how the Moon is run was lovely. I liked reading about the oxygen farming and how the technology is shifting. I enjoyed hearing about the history of the developing the Moon and how the next push is Mars. Then there is the family drama. Mil is estranged from his daughter who just happens to be the head of the Space Program. Mil's discovery leads to his granddaughter being in hot water. Watching those relationships play out were entertaining and somewhat poignant. Mil (and his attitude) were the highlight for me.
The two biggest issues of the book come down to the second half. All of the politics on Earth and the plot that takes place there were not very interesting to me. Part of this is that I felt like I was reading about the Cold War 2.0 where all Russians are evil and humans have learned absolutely nothing from past conflicts. There is also a capitalism is evil plot that wasn't particularly thought out. I also didn't really like how the radiation problem was being dealt with in general.
But the absolute biggest disappointment was the ending.
I am not sad that I read this book but I do feel like it could have been immensely improved. If 1950s cold war type stories or movies like Armageddon float yer boat then this may work better for ye. If not, I am not sure I can recommend it in general. Arrrr!
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Ahoy there me mateys! I say this every time I finish one of these novellas but I seriously could read dozens of books set in the various worlds. This is the 10th book in the series and is the backstory of Nadya from book 3. This can be read as a standalone though I suggest reading the series in order to get the full impact.
Nadya is born in Russia to a mother who doesn't want her and is raised in an orphanage. She is missing an arm due to a birth defect but doesn't feel a loss for something she never had. She is adopted by an American couple who want her to fit in and be a testament to their good parenting skills. Nadya is not happy with being forced to wear a prosthetic. Then a day comes where she falls into the pond and goes through a Door to Belyrreka.
This story is bittersweet. Reading about her life in America was painful and made my heart ache.. However, I loved watching Nadya thrive in Belyrreka. The world itself is a fascinating land of water. There are giant talking turtles, massive frogs that eat anything that can fit into their mouths, and giant fishing vessels that sail on and under the water. I did want more about life on top of the rivers and in the sky but it was mostly a story about Nadya living her best life in Belyrreka. I was immersed (Arrr!) in watching her grow up in a place perfectly suited to her. Even though the ending was anticipated, it still stung and made me immensely unhappy for Nadya.
I think this is one of the stronger entries in the series and recommend it wholeheartedly. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Nadya is born in Russia to a mother who doesn't want her and is raised in an orphanage. She is missing an arm due to a birth defect but doesn't feel a loss for something she never had. She is adopted by an American couple who want her to fit in and be a testament to their good parenting skills. Nadya is not happy with being forced to wear a prosthetic. Then a day comes where she falls into the pond and goes through a Door to Belyrreka.
This story is bittersweet. Reading about her life in America was painful and made my heart ache.. However, I loved watching Nadya thrive in Belyrreka. The world itself is a fascinating land of water. There are giant talking turtles, massive frogs that eat anything that can fit into their mouths, and giant fishing vessels that sail on and under the water. I did want more about life on top of the rivers and in the sky but it was mostly a story about Nadya living her best life in Belyrreka. I was immersed (Arrr!) in watching her grow up in a place perfectly suited to her. Even though the ending was anticipated, it still stung and made me immensely unhappy for Nadya.
I think this is one of the stronger entries in the series and recommend it wholeheartedly. Arrrr!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate
4.0
Ahoy there me mateys!
I learned about this book from fellow blogger bookwormaniac and thought the premise was interesting so I picked it up. Recently I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and read this in the wee hours of the morning. Apparently, this novel is the author’s first and she is still a senior in college as of today. Sheesh! Talk about multi-tasking.
This novel was pretty interesting. It dealt with the lives of 7 teenagers in high school who make different life choices and all have secrets of their own. There was a nice combination of male and female perspectives. While the plot was good and the ending was fine what I liked most were the individualization of characters. Especially dealing with sexuality. Not that the novel had gratuitous sex or even explicit sex. But the novel had “non-standard” sexuality including a pansexual, a girl who has a series of one night stands, more traditional male/female relationships, and a seemingly asexual person. And yet that is NOT the point of the book at all. The characters make choices and happen to have those preferences.
For me though, showing a girl taking control of her own sexual destiny seemingly safely with contraception and handling the consequences was particularly interesting. I am not a one-night stand kinda Captain but I do believe women should be able to make the same choices as men concerning their selection of bed partners. Slut shaming women and then congratulating men for the same type of behavior irks me. I thought this book handled that issue nicely.
Actually, I thought the way the author blended the stories of the 7 characters together was very well done. The narrative flowed nicely. The only real gripe I had was the choice to use odd verse for the Juniper chapters. None of the other characters’ stories were told in this fashion and it sort of threw me out of the story every time. But that was minor. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would certainly give this author’s next book a shot.
To see my other book reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I learned about this book from fellow blogger bookwormaniac and thought the premise was interesting so I picked it up. Recently I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and read this in the wee hours of the morning. Apparently, this novel is the author’s first and she is still a senior in college as of today. Sheesh! Talk about multi-tasking.
This novel was pretty interesting. It dealt with the lives of 7 teenagers in high school who make different life choices and all have secrets of their own. There was a nice combination of male and female perspectives. While the plot was good and the ending was fine what I liked most were the individualization of characters. Especially dealing with sexuality. Not that the novel had gratuitous sex or even explicit sex. But the novel had “non-standard” sexuality including a pansexual, a girl who has a series of one night stands, more traditional male/female relationships, and a seemingly asexual person. And yet that is NOT the point of the book at all. The characters make choices and happen to have those preferences.
For me though, showing a girl taking control of her own sexual destiny seemingly safely with contraception and handling the consequences was particularly interesting. I am not a one-night stand kinda Captain but I do believe women should be able to make the same choices as men concerning their selection of bed partners. Slut shaming women and then congratulating men for the same type of behavior irks me. I thought this book handled that issue nicely.
Actually, I thought the way the author blended the stories of the 7 characters together was very well done. The narrative flowed nicely. The only real gripe I had was the choice to use odd verse for the Juniper chapters. None of the other characters’ stories were told in this fashion and it sort of threw me out of the story every time. But that was minor. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would certainly give this author’s next book a shot.
To see my other book reviews visit https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/