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thepurplebookwyrm's reviews
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The Book of Elsewhere by China Miéville, Keanu Reeves
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
May do a video review of this one in the future...
I am happy to say I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would.
And that's mostly because The Book of Elsewhere was, clearly, principally written by China Miéville, and not Keanu Reeves... no offence to him, but I wasn't actually interested in reading his stuff. No: I wanted more of Miéville's fiction, and that's mostly what I got – thankfully!
The base premise of an immortal warrior, named Unute, or B (and born circa 80000 BCE), working with the US military to discover just why he cannot die, or rather stay dead, must have come from Mr Reeves, because it definitely does not fit the pattern of what Mr Miéville usually plays with in his fiction writing. But the prose, the twisty and thoughtful story-telling; the mixing of playful- and somber-ness in the story's tone; the quality of its theming on the meaning of life, death and the unrelenting passage of time, and the weirdness of the whole 'babirusa' thing... all of that was wonderfully Miévillian!
Unute felt decently convincing as an insanely old, immortal character. His suggestion Humanity had actually seen many grand civilisations rise and fall in its very ancient history was a cheeky and amusing nod to conspiracies regarding deep time. And I found it surprisingly pleasant to realise I was somewhat reminded of... Jeff Vandermeer's Authority while reading this book.
So... not my favourite Miéville by any means, but still worth my time. 🙂
I am happy to say I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would.
And that's mostly because The Book of Elsewhere was, clearly, principally written by China Miéville, and not Keanu Reeves... no offence to him, but I wasn't actually interested in reading his stuff. No: I wanted more of Miéville's fiction, and that's mostly what I got – thankfully!
The base premise of an immortal warrior, named Unute, or B (and born circa 80000 BCE), working with the US military to discover just why he cannot die, or rather stay dead, must have come from Mr Reeves, because it definitely does not fit the pattern of what Mr Miéville usually plays with in his fiction writing. But the prose, the twisty and thoughtful story-telling; the mixing of playful- and somber-ness in the story's tone; the quality of its theming on the meaning of life, death and the unrelenting passage of time, and the weirdness of the whole 'babirusa' thing... all of that was wonderfully Miévillian!
Unute felt decently convincing as an insanely old, immortal character. His suggestion Humanity had actually seen many grand civilisations rise and fall in its very ancient history was a cheeky and amusing nod to conspiracies regarding deep time. And I found it surprisingly pleasant to realise I was somewhat reminded of... Jeff Vandermeer's Authority while reading this book.
So... not my favourite Miéville by any means, but still worth my time. 🙂
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Eh, this wasn't bad, but it also wasn't exactly my thing. Who Fears Death is kinda weird, genre-wise; I'd say this is... post-apocalyptic fantasy? Far-future science-fantasy? Though really, it works more as fantasy than anything else just... set in the far-future, in Africa – with very obvious signposts to this being set in Africa.
I liked this, mind you, as it made the book feel a bit different. Unfortunately, I can't say there weren't any issues with the world-building. In fact, I felt pretty disconnected from the story, and its world. Something didn't quite add up for me, in terms of time and place, chiefly because neither were well-defined... except, I suppose, for the latter, since you learn that the book's Kingdom of the Seven Rivers used to be the Kingdom of Sudan. But you learn this at the very, and I do mean very end of the book, and I was left wondering why it was even included. I guess it's because the plot revolves pretty heavily around the threat of genocide, racism/ethnic discrimination, rape as a tool of violent oppression – especially in the context of war and 'ethnic cleansing' – all of which are, sadly, relevant to the situation in Sudan today, but like... it was just one mention, and nothing else was done with it. 🤷♀️ You can easily tell the book's theming refers back to related phenomena in the real world – in Africa mores specifically, even – so what does name-dropping Sudan in the last few pages of the book actually accomplish, or simply add? Especially considering this remains... fantasy, with pretty strong magic?
Don't get me wrong: I actually liked the book's magic 'system'. It felt strongly rooted in shamanism, and featured connection to a spiritual realm that was convincingly brought to life. I liked the emotional emphasis that was placed on the master-pupil relationship; I thought it was an original twist to have the 'ego death' that tends to feature in a lot of shamanic initiations here be the spiritual experience of one's literal death in the future... and so on and so forth.
The book's theming on ethnic oppression, and discrimination against 'mixed' individuals (in this case often the product of rape, and exemplified by the story's MC, the Ewu Onyesonwu) was well realised overall. It was developed with a decent amount of nuance, in that it condemned all violence against the innocent, even when said violence was committed by the oppressed group (here, the darker-skinned Okeke). It's pretty clear to me the book also tried to explore sex-based oppression (Aro initially refuses to take on Onyesonwu as an apprentice because she's a girl, rape features pretty heavily in the story, and girls in Onyesonwu's home town undergo FGM at the onset of puberty), but I didn't find this thread of theming nearly as well developed. Something felt... missing, there, in terms of supporting foundations.
Something felt missing more broadly, honestly. There was a problem with the setting, like I said, in terms of time and place; the story felt largely 'untethered' as a result. And the ending really brought it down for me too. It felt way too convenient, easy, and thus unearned (it was also pretty confusing, quite frankly).
I'd definitely try something else by Nnedi Okorafor in the future, given I liked some things about Who Fears Death, but I certainly won't be re-reading this one.
PS/CW: that gang rape in the book's second chapter, and the FGM... were a little rough to read through, not gonna lie.
I liked this, mind you, as it made the book feel a bit different. Unfortunately, I can't say there weren't any issues with the world-building. In fact, I felt pretty disconnected from the story, and its world. Something didn't quite add up for me, in terms of time and place, chiefly because neither were well-defined... except, I suppose, for the latter, since you learn that the book's Kingdom of the Seven Rivers used to be the Kingdom of Sudan. But you learn this at the very, and I do mean very end of the book, and I was left wondering why it was even included. I guess it's because the plot revolves pretty heavily around the threat of genocide, racism/ethnic discrimination, rape as a tool of violent oppression – especially in the context of war and 'ethnic cleansing' – all of which are, sadly, relevant to the situation in Sudan today, but like... it was just one mention, and nothing else was done with it. 🤷♀️ You can easily tell the book's theming refers back to related phenomena in the real world – in Africa mores specifically, even – so what does name-dropping Sudan in the last few pages of the book actually accomplish, or simply add? Especially considering this remains... fantasy, with pretty strong magic?
Don't get me wrong: I actually liked the book's magic 'system'. It felt strongly rooted in shamanism, and featured connection to a spiritual realm that was convincingly brought to life. I liked the emotional emphasis that was placed on the master-pupil relationship; I thought it was an original twist to have the 'ego death' that tends to feature in a lot of shamanic initiations here be the spiritual experience of one's literal death in the future... and so on and so forth.
The book's theming on ethnic oppression, and discrimination against 'mixed' individuals (in this case often the product of rape, and exemplified by the story's MC, the Ewu Onyesonwu) was well realised overall. It was developed with a decent amount of nuance, in that it condemned all violence against the innocent, even when said violence was committed by the oppressed group (here, the darker-skinned Okeke). It's pretty clear to me the book also tried to explore sex-based oppression (Aro initially refuses to take on Onyesonwu as an apprentice because she's a girl, rape features pretty heavily in the story, and girls in Onyesonwu's home town undergo FGM at the onset of puberty), but I didn't find this thread of theming nearly as well developed. Something felt... missing, there, in terms of supporting foundations.
Something felt missing more broadly, honestly. There was a problem with the setting, like I said, in terms of time and place; the story felt largely 'untethered' as a result. And the ending really brought it down for me too. It felt way too convenient, easy, and thus unearned (it was also pretty confusing, quite frankly).
I'd definitely try something else by Nnedi Okorafor in the future, given I liked some things about Who Fears Death, but I certainly won't be re-reading this one.
PS/CW: that gang rape in the book's second chapter, and the FGM... were a little rough to read through, not gonna lie.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Murder
Gang rape in the second chapter, FGM of four girls, death by stoning, violence in the context of ethnic cleansing.
What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
What an Owl Knows is a very good, comprehensive overview of 'owl science' (with both greyscale and full colour pictures too!). I really liked the fact the book covered a lot of different species, and that it included a chapter on owls in human culture, folklore, etc... as well as a chapter on owls as 'pets' (or relationships between human beings and owls more broadly). I also really appreciated the way the author emphasised the contributions of amateur, or 'citizen' scientists to research, and the way she put forward the researchers' passion and love for owls (and the natural world as a whole).
If I'm being honest, the book felt a little long, perhaps even dragging at times, though that is principally because I wasn't necessarily the most interested in the minutiae of, I don't know, data gathering, out in the field (I'm more into ethology proper and cognitive research, I guess, rather than, say, feeding habits and the like when it gets into more detail).
Still, I learned a lot – like the fact owls' auditory nerves link up with their optical nerves, which means they might, potentially, 'see' sounds! – and found the way the author chose to wrap it all up very poetic, even moving (there's a lot of warmth and much needed optimism in this book, and that's a good thing).
If I'm being honest, the book felt a little long, perhaps even dragging at times, though that is principally because I wasn't necessarily the most interested in the minutiae of, I don't know, data gathering, out in the field (I'm more into ethology proper and cognitive research, I guess, rather than, say, feeding habits and the like when it gets into more detail).
Still, I learned a lot – like the fact owls' auditory nerves link up with their optical nerves, which means they might, potentially, 'see' sounds! – and found the way the author chose to wrap it all up very poetic, even moving (there's a lot of warmth and much needed optimism in this book, and that's a good thing).
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Lolly Willowes is one of those books I found worth reading, once... as an item of literary and feminist history, but which didn't really work for me as an actual story.
I just found it really... odd? In a way I found interesting, rather than enjoyable stricto sensu. The writing was good, overall, although there were a few times when I didn't really understand a sentence or turn of phrase, in a way that felt confusing, even a little jarring to be honest.
I mostly liked Lolly as a character, yes, but... I don't know, the plot, its structure, its pacing? All of it just felt a bit off to me. The (rather late) transition to there being witchcraft in the world, and it all feeling rather normal to Lolly mostly felt like it came out of nowhere, and was thus also a bit jarring and, well, almost absurdly comical in a way. Lolly finds a kitten on her doorstep, and she then just knows it's a familiar, sent by Satan (who is thus real) and all of a sudden, she's a witch, just like that, and it's all fine and chill. Aight. She goes to the local Sabbath, and finds it all rather tedious – just as she's always found social occasions rather tedious. And that was amusing, yes, but I'm not sure that's what the text was actually going for, if that makes sense? The tone was all over the place, and I'm just not convinced it really worked.
The book's theming was also very clumsily developed, mostly because it wasn't, actually, developed, as in progressively expressed through the text. Rather, it all came in as one giant 'theming dump', as Lolly chats with Satan, in a quiet garden, about the necessity for women to have space to themselves, in order to develop their individuality, inner life, creativity, intellectual pursuits, etc... unhampered by the demands of the people around them (family members especially). So yes, it was very 'A Room of One's Own' before A Room of One's Own, but like... Virginia Woolf's text is a masterfully crafted piece of non-fiction; Lolly Willowes is supposed to be a piece of fiction, and tell an engaging story within which theming can then be woven, but alas... the heavily expository nature of its theming just felt rough-shod and heavy-handed to me.
Still, it was a quick read and not fundamentally unpleasant. I'm not mad about this one, but I also wouldn't re-read it.
I just found it really... odd? In a way I found interesting, rather than enjoyable stricto sensu. The writing was good, overall, although there were a few times when I didn't really understand a sentence or turn of phrase, in a way that felt confusing, even a little jarring to be honest.
I mostly liked Lolly as a character, yes, but... I don't know, the plot, its structure, its pacing? All of it just felt a bit off to me. The (rather late) transition to there being witchcraft in the world, and it all feeling rather normal to Lolly mostly felt like it came out of nowhere, and was thus also a bit jarring and, well, almost absurdly comical in a way. Lolly finds a kitten on her doorstep, and she then just knows it's a familiar, sent by Satan (who is thus real) and all of a sudden, she's a witch, just like that, and it's all fine and chill. Aight. She goes to the local Sabbath, and finds it all rather tedious – just as she's always found social occasions rather tedious. And that was amusing, yes, but I'm not sure that's what the text was actually going for, if that makes sense? The tone was all over the place, and I'm just not convinced it really worked.
The book's theming was also very clumsily developed, mostly because it wasn't, actually, developed, as in progressively expressed through the text. Rather, it all came in as one giant 'theming dump', as Lolly chats with Satan, in a quiet garden, about the necessity for women to have space to themselves, in order to develop their individuality, inner life, creativity, intellectual pursuits, etc... unhampered by the demands of the people around them (family members especially). So yes, it was very 'A Room of One's Own' before A Room of One's Own, but like... Virginia Woolf's text is a masterfully crafted piece of non-fiction; Lolly Willowes is supposed to be a piece of fiction, and tell an engaging story within which theming can then be woven, but alas... the heavily expository nature of its theming just felt rough-shod and heavy-handed to me.
Still, it was a quick read and not fundamentally unpleasant. I'm not mad about this one, but I also wouldn't re-read it.
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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? No
3.5
Reading vlog: https://youtu.be/WafYvtDrF8Q?si=3SiC6GMLGpgEQYzT.
Never in a million years would I have expected to enjoy a meme fantasy smut romance featuring big beefy minotaurs this much. 🙃
But yeah, Morning Glory Milking Farm was surprisingly sweet, of all freaking things. I can't tell you how surprised I was to discover how good the 'romance' in this thing was, yet there it is. Because this wasn't just very amusing, memey fantasy smut; no no, it actually had a pretty wholesome and believable 'romance', the actual development of a relationship! No intsalove here, no sirree! Something like Fourth Wing can honestly go fuck itself compared to this, that's right I said it! 🤭
Now, don't get me wrong: I couldn't, actually, with the whole minotaur thing. I just... no, I can't, way too close to zoophilia for comfort (not that I think the author endorses zoophilia at all, to be crystal clear). I'm also not into the, ahem, intense fluid dynamics or 'glory-holeness' of this story's smut. 😆 But putting that aside: this thing had surprisingly good prose! There was a really nice rhythm to most of the text's sentences, to the story's overall pacing as well, and I didn't dislike the rather skilful blending of higher-level and cruder vocabulary (some of which absolutely did not work for me, let me tell you, but your mileage will obviously vary widely with this).
The world-building was also surprisingly good, engaging and grounded in 'real life' – despite the fact innumerable therianthropes were also bopping about the page. It kept me intrigued, interested and engaged, and gave off... cozy vibes, for lack of better wording. That's right, I'd honestly go so far as to call this: cozy fantasy smut romance! There was a fair bit of charm here, delightful quirk and, yes, absurdity, because... I mean duh, really. I laughed out loud several times reading this thing – and certainly more than I did reading Ice Planet Barbarians, as a point of comparison.
So yeah: a very nice surprise indeed, which is why I'll happily check out some of the other entries in this series in the future –if only because I really want to know how the fuck sex even works with a... mothman! 😂
PS: can we also just give it up for Rourke, who cared about consent ✅ potential power imbalances ✅ and not hurting his partner due to (significant) anatomical differences ✅ ? #AllMenShouldBeLikeThisByDefault
Also, props to Ms Nascosta for including playful levity and... mishaps, shall we say, in her sex scenes, and acknowledging the fact enjoyable sex can still hurt a bit at the start, even with careful preparation and gentleness – because anatomical limitations do be a thing at the end of the day!
Never in a million years would I have expected to enjoy a meme fantasy smut romance featuring big beefy minotaurs this much. 🙃
But yeah, Morning Glory Milking Farm was surprisingly sweet, of all freaking things. I can't tell you how surprised I was to discover how good the 'romance' in this thing was, yet there it is. Because this wasn't just very amusing, memey fantasy smut; no no, it actually had a pretty wholesome and believable 'romance', the actual development of a relationship! No intsalove here, no sirree! Something like Fourth Wing can honestly go fuck itself compared to this, that's right I said it! 🤭
Now, don't get me wrong: I couldn't, actually, with the whole minotaur thing. I just... no, I can't, way too close to zoophilia for comfort (not that I think the author endorses zoophilia at all, to be crystal clear). I'm also not into the, ahem, intense fluid dynamics or 'glory-holeness' of this story's smut. 😆 But putting that aside: this thing had surprisingly good prose! There was a really nice rhythm to most of the text's sentences, to the story's overall pacing as well, and I didn't dislike the rather skilful blending of higher-level and cruder vocabulary (some of which absolutely did not work for me, let me tell you, but your mileage will obviously vary widely with this).
The world-building was also surprisingly good, engaging and grounded in 'real life' – despite the fact innumerable therianthropes were also bopping about the page. It kept me intrigued, interested and engaged, and gave off... cozy vibes, for lack of better wording. That's right, I'd honestly go so far as to call this: cozy fantasy smut romance! There was a fair bit of charm here, delightful quirk and, yes, absurdity, because... I mean duh, really. I laughed out loud several times reading this thing – and certainly more than I did reading Ice Planet Barbarians, as a point of comparison.
So yeah: a very nice surprise indeed, which is why I'll happily check out some of the other entries in this series in the future –
PS: can we also just give it up for Rourke, who cared about consent ✅ potential power imbalances ✅ and not hurting his partner due to (significant) anatomical differences ✅ ? #AllMenShouldBeLikeThisByDefault
Also, props to Ms Nascosta for including playful levity and... mishaps, shall we say, in her sex scenes, and acknowledging the fact enjoyable sex can still hurt a bit at the start, even with careful preparation and gentleness – because anatomical limitations do be a thing at the end of the day!
The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
"Art exists to transcend, transfix, and transform."
The literal power and symbolic meaning of transformation seems to be a motif particularly favoured by Ms Barnhill, at least judging by the two works I've read written by her: the novel When Women Were Dragons (a soft new fantasy favourite from 2023) and, now, the novella The Crane Husband, which I didn't enjoy quite as much as the former.
That being said, I still found it very poetic and 'quietly beautiful', for lack of better wording. It's just that the symbolism, here, and theming rooted therein, didn't feel as defined and graspable as it did in When Women Were Dragons. Said theming definitely felt very related to (some of) that of the latter though; the quiet oppression of female domesticity, domestic violence, the often complex push and pull of familial bonds of love, the deleterious constriction of the female self, etc... all were present, as they are present in When Women Were Dragons – albeit more strongly. The Crane Husband, however, also plays – a bit – with the following question: what does it mean to be an artist, to create art? And also subverts the trope of the tortured, isolated (and arguably somewhat egocentric at times) artist by having the artist, here, be a woman, and mother. You could obviously go a lot deeper with this, but I still found this aspect of the story noteworthy.
The prose was, broadly, as enjoyable, elegant and evocative as I found it in When Women Were Dragons, though that novel certainly has much more moving and meaningfully strilking imagery for me, personally. The character work was decent, what it needed to be for this story to keep flowing and resonate emtionally – to some extent at least.
Ultimately, this novella feels more like magical realism stricto sensu than fantasy, but this didn't raise my 'anti-magical realism' hackles too much, thankfully. Still, whilst I found meaning in the crane therianthropism at the heart of this book (in terms of domestic and emotional abuse, specifically), I'm also not entirely sure I really 'got' all of it (especially when you consider the fact the women of the protagonist's family also transform into cranes, birds... and the mother does too, eventually... it really muddled things for me ). Which I guess just kinda comes with the territory of magical realism – and which, yeah, I generally do not enjoy at all. 😅
I'd wanted to read this one for a long while, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Like I said, there is beauty here, and delicate, meaningful symbolism, all in bite-sized snack novella format. But for me, When Women Were Dragons clearly stands as the superior work. With all that said, I'm definitely tempted to read more of Ms Barnhill's work in the future! 🙂
The literal power and symbolic meaning of transformation seems to be a motif particularly favoured by Ms Barnhill, at least judging by the two works I've read written by her: the novel When Women Were Dragons (a soft new fantasy favourite from 2023) and, now, the novella The Crane Husband, which I didn't enjoy quite as much as the former.
That being said, I still found it very poetic and 'quietly beautiful', for lack of better wording. It's just that the symbolism, here, and theming rooted therein, didn't feel as defined and graspable as it did in When Women Were Dragons. Said theming definitely felt very related to (some of) that of the latter though; the quiet oppression of female domesticity, domestic violence, the often complex push and pull of familial bonds of love, the deleterious constriction of the female self, etc... all were present, as they are present in When Women Were Dragons – albeit more strongly. The Crane Husband, however, also plays – a bit – with the following question: what does it mean to be an artist, to create art? And also subverts the trope of the tortured, isolated (and arguably somewhat egocentric at times) artist by having the artist, here, be a woman, and mother. You could obviously go a lot deeper with this, but I still found this aspect of the story noteworthy.
The prose was, broadly, as enjoyable, elegant and evocative as I found it in When Women Were Dragons, though that novel certainly has much more moving and meaningfully strilking imagery for me, personally. The character work was decent, what it needed to be for this story to keep flowing and resonate emtionally – to some extent at least.
Ultimately, this novella feels more like magical realism stricto sensu than fantasy, but this didn't raise my 'anti-magical realism' hackles too much, thankfully. Still, whilst I found meaning in the crane therianthropism at the heart of this book (in terms of domestic and emotional abuse, specifically), I'm also not entirely sure I really 'got' all of it (
I'd wanted to read this one for a long while, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. Like I said, there is beauty here, and delicate, meaningful symbolism, all in bite-sized snack novella format. But for me, When Women Were Dragons clearly stands as the superior work. With all that said, I'm definitely tempted to read more of Ms Barnhill's work in the future! 🙂
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The world-building of Fathomfolk was refreshingly original and decently fleshed out. Yes, there are obvious questions that arise if you look too closely at it, of course, but... I don't know, I expected less 'effort', and thus immersion with this one, honestly. Yet I did feel immersed (hehe, get it, there's a lot of water involved here); the largely aquatic world of Fathomfolk, or rather the urban, tidal and amphibious setting of Tiankawi had texture, colour, scent and felt sufficiently believable for the duration of the story. I also really enjoyed the fact the titular Fathomfolk were made up of a variety of aquatic creatures, or beings, from different world folklores and mythologies. I'm not really sure how it all made sense from a greater, uhm... evolutionary, taxonomic or even cosmogonical standpoint, but that's fine – I was mostly able to mute my nit-picky brain for this one.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact this story had pretty decent and well-developed theming. Political theming, more specifically, on societal and class oppression, intra-class stratification, discrimination, xenophobia, and the means to rectify social inequality. Is reform, violent revolution, or something else, the better solution? I really appreciated the fact multiple perspectives were given page-time and consideration – nuance for the win! I think you could even read... something about climate immigration, and climate refugees due to environmental degradation, out of this book given the recurring motif of loss of land to rising sea levels as well.
A lot of the above theming flowed through the story's main characters; different POV characters held different political and social viewpoints which I thought were, once again, expressed with an appreciable measure of nuance. So yes, I'd say the character work was pretty decent to good overall, especially for this kind of story – Serena's character certainly stood out to me in this regard. Straddling character work and world-building, I'll also note it was kind of neat to see a sort of retelling of the Little Mermaid story in this book. I found it neat in no small part because it was worked in in a way that didn't take centre stage, that wasn't too obvious; it was, rather, one colourful strand amongst others in the book's tapestry.
There was a bit of romance in this story and... I didn't object to it, yay! I'll even admit I found Mira and Kai's relationship quite endearing. It was also nice to see a loving mother-daughter relationship in Mira and Trish.
The book's pacing worked for me; the prose as a whole was... unremarkably competent. I was also... okay with the book's ending, although I decided to read Fathomfolk before learning it would be the first in a series (and nowhere on the book is it actually mentioned that it is the first in a series... please stop doing this, publishers!) – and I don't really plan on continuing with it in any case. I didn't like a specific narrative decision, however, in terms of what I'll call 'moral pay-off' (Kai becoming a dragon pearl in place of his sister felt wrong to me; she had genuine crimes to pay for, and Mira did not deserve to lose her husband, oh well ).
So yeah, this was, honestly, surprisingly good and enjoyable; I really did not expect it would score a 7/10! 🙂
PS: also, dragon people, slay!
I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact this story had pretty decent and well-developed theming. Political theming, more specifically, on societal and class oppression, intra-class stratification, discrimination, xenophobia, and the means to rectify social inequality. Is reform, violent revolution, or something else, the better solution? I really appreciated the fact multiple perspectives were given page-time and consideration – nuance for the win! I think you could even read... something about climate immigration, and climate refugees due to environmental degradation, out of this book given the recurring motif of loss of land to rising sea levels as well.
A lot of the above theming flowed through the story's main characters; different POV characters held different political and social viewpoints which I thought were, once again, expressed with an appreciable measure of nuance. So yes, I'd say the character work was pretty decent to good overall, especially for this kind of story – Serena's character certainly stood out to me in this regard. Straddling character work and world-building, I'll also note it was kind of neat to see a sort of retelling of the Little Mermaid story in this book. I found it neat in no small part because it was worked in in a way that didn't take centre stage, that wasn't too obvious; it was, rather, one colourful strand amongst others in the book's tapestry.
There was a bit of romance in this story and... I didn't object to it, yay! I'll even admit I found Mira and Kai's relationship quite endearing. It was also nice to see a loving mother-daughter relationship in Mira and Trish.
The book's pacing worked for me; the prose as a whole was... unremarkably competent. I was also... okay with the book's ending, although I decided to read Fathomfolk before learning it would be the first in a series (and nowhere on the book is it actually mentioned that it is the first in a series... please stop doing this, publishers!) – and I don't really plan on continuing with it in any case. I didn't like a specific narrative decision, however, in terms of what I'll call 'moral pay-off' (
So yeah, this was, honestly, surprisingly good and enjoyable; I really did not expect it would score a 7/10! 🙂
PS: also, dragon people, slay!
The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
The Fabric of Civilization works as a decent introductory overview to the topic of the history of textiles; their production, trade, consumption and cultural significance in terms of technology.
And as an 'introductory overview', it will probably leave you wanting in some places like it did me – unless you have a truly casual interest in the subject. I personally think it could easily have benefitted from an additional 50 pages or so – even as an introductory overview – given the way the author favoured certain aspects of the topic over others. I would've appreciated greater focus on textile fibres that weren't cotton or silk, or greater focuse on textile techniques that weren't weaving.
This book also desperately needed better illustrations or diagrams (or even links to, I don't know, YouTube videos) explaining the mechanics of weaving, or even knitting. I have dabbled in weaving before, I'm a good visual thinker but all of that was explained through text and I really struggled to picture things correctly.
I also think there was something missing, here, in terms of broader anthropological and sociological analysis. Maybe that's just because my favourite kind of non-fiction, at this point, tends to be on the more academic, and ideally multidisciplinary side of things, and this book didn't exactly fit that template. There was also a certain lack of... critical thinking, I suppose, when it came to 'neoliberal consumerism' as a phenomenon – maybe (I'm willing to concede that may've simply been me reading too much into the author's tone and focus).
Still, I enjoyed reading this work of non-fiction. It was informative and (mostly) kept me engaged throughout, and I'm happy to keep it in my non-fiction library as a decent reference.
And as an 'introductory overview', it will probably leave you wanting in some places like it did me – unless you have a truly casual interest in the subject. I personally think it could easily have benefitted from an additional 50 pages or so – even as an introductory overview – given the way the author favoured certain aspects of the topic over others. I would've appreciated greater focus on textile fibres that weren't cotton or silk, or greater focuse on textile techniques that weren't weaving.
This book also desperately needed better illustrations or diagrams (or even links to, I don't know, YouTube videos) explaining the mechanics of weaving, or even knitting. I have dabbled in weaving before, I'm a good visual thinker but all of that was explained through text and I really struggled to picture things correctly.
I also think there was something missing, here, in terms of broader anthropological and sociological analysis. Maybe that's just because my favourite kind of non-fiction, at this point, tends to be on the more academic, and ideally multidisciplinary side of things, and this book didn't exactly fit that template. There was also a certain lack of... critical thinking, I suppose, when it came to 'neoliberal consumerism' as a phenomenon – maybe (I'm willing to concede that may've simply been me reading too much into the author's tone and focus).
Still, I enjoyed reading this work of non-fiction. It was informative and (mostly) kept me engaged throughout, and I'm happy to keep it in my non-fiction library as a decent reference.
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was quite enjoyable!
• I liked the book's cast of quirky character (most of them older women, for a nice change).
• I enjoyed the dark fairytale magic and vibes, and the book's re-interpretation or retelling of the 'Fairy Godmother' motif.
• I appreciated the (relatively light) commentary on power and powerlessness, especially as it relates to women and their place in the world – though this story was firmly more 'entertainment-driven' than it was 'ideas-driven' for me.
• Still, it had a lot of heart! I found it all rather cute, and pleasingly sweet; I even liked the story's budding "romance" for once!
• Bonedog and the chickens were 💜.
• I liked the book's cast of quirky character (most of them older women, for a nice change).
• I enjoyed the dark fairytale magic and vibes, and the book's re-interpretation or retelling of the 'Fairy Godmother' motif.
• I appreciated the (relatively light) commentary on power and powerlessness, especially as it relates to women and their place in the world – though this story was firmly more 'entertainment-driven' than it was 'ideas-driven' for me.
• Still, it had a lot of heart! I found it all rather cute, and pleasingly sweet; I even liked the story's budding "romance" for once!
• Bonedog and the chickens were 💜.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
onestly, this was quite enjoyable.
● I quite liked Geralt as a main character, and really liked the very down-to-earth, workaday and pragmatic aspect of Geralt's character motivations. Dude just wants to make sure he'll still have a job in 5 years, and I can respect that lmao. I know it's pretty random, but I don't know... something about that felt refreshingly unexpected (for this kind of fantasy).
● The 'flashback adventures, quests, etc... interspersed with a present, 'in recovery' narrative' structure of the book actually worked really well for me, for whatever reason. I guess it just managed to keep me engaged with the more or less consistent promise of further information about Geralt and his world.
● Speaking of world-building: there were interesting tidbits of it here and there, such as the Law of Surprise, sorcerer politics (and cosmetic improvements), and crumbs of what felt like greater 'modernity' (if only in attitude and philosophy) than you'd expect from your average late Middle Ages/Early Modern Period-adjacent fantasy setting. I also hadn't realised how directly Geralt's adventures would pull from and rework existing fairy tales, such as The Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. But there again: it really worked for me, and I had fun trying to tie each adventure to its folkloric source.
● Yes, there is a recurring motif that "humans do be the real actual monsters here", but it wasn't actually developed all that much either. I think I expected more, there, in terms of thematic depth, that I didn't actually get – but it's fine.
● There was a decent bit of subtle character humour, clever comebacks, and the like, that I was able to appreciate.
So yes, enjoyable like I said. I'm glad I took the time to read this one at least once, though I don't think I'll bother with the rest of the series. Perhaps I'll fuck around with one of the video games someday, who knows.
● I quite liked Geralt as a main character, and really liked the very down-to-earth, workaday and pragmatic aspect of Geralt's character motivations. Dude just wants to make sure he'll still have a job in 5 years, and I can respect that lmao. I know it's pretty random, but I don't know... something about that felt refreshingly unexpected (for this kind of fantasy).
● The 'flashback adventures, quests, etc... interspersed with a present, 'in recovery' narrative' structure of the book actually worked really well for me, for whatever reason. I guess it just managed to keep me engaged with the more or less consistent promise of further information about Geralt and his world.
● Speaking of world-building: there were interesting tidbits of it here and there, such as the Law of Surprise, sorcerer politics (and cosmetic improvements), and crumbs of what felt like greater 'modernity' (if only in attitude and philosophy) than you'd expect from your average late Middle Ages/Early Modern Period-adjacent fantasy setting. I also hadn't realised how directly Geralt's adventures would pull from and rework existing fairy tales, such as The Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. But there again: it really worked for me, and I had fun trying to tie each adventure to its folkloric source.
● Yes, there is a recurring motif that "humans do be the real actual monsters here", but it wasn't actually developed all that much either. I think I expected more, there, in terms of thematic depth, that I didn't actually get – but it's fine.
● There was a decent bit of subtle character humour, clever comebacks, and the like, that I was able to appreciate.
So yes, enjoyable like I said. I'm glad I took the time to read this one at least once, though I don't think I'll bother with the rest of the series. Perhaps I'll fuck around with one of the video games someday, who knows.