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wilt's reviews
66 reviews
Stitching Palms by B.L. Brown
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
I will concede that my rating is purely based on a disconnect of taste, rather than any big shortcomings of the writing itself. There are some things that worked for me extremely well, and other parts that absolutely did not.
What I liked:
The setting. I am not an urban fantasy guy, but the setting (the Florida Keys) piqued my curiosity and I really enjoyed everything it had to offer. The way the writing kept things colorful and magical and special really complimented the place and made even the pesky chickens seem endearing. It always felt sweaty and bright and vibrant, and it sparked my appetite in the loveliest ways. I also loved the way the writing described magic, and the different ways it worked with different people. The witch systems themselves were fascinating and creative and clearly have a lot of lore behind them, but everything was introduced naturally and it never felt overwhelming. There was just the right balance to leave me wanting more and enjoying every morsel offered. I also loved Diego - his history, his present, and the links between both. His Way of being a witch was totally unique and it was really cool to see the way his talent was utilized for the plot. I enjoyed most of the other characters too, and was never bored by them.
What I disliked:
The sex scenes did not work for me, at all. I typically don't have any issue with lengthy or frequent sex scenes, but for this book I found myself wanting to blur past them to get right back to the plot, every time. And I'm not quite sure why that is. Maybe there wasn't enough build up from the start, or maybe it was Trav himself, who I couldn't get a solid grip on, personality-wise (which worked great for the plot, but not for convincing passionate romance). The constant inclusion of alcohol as a lead up to the sex also did not help matters. The writing for the scenes themselves was not bad, but they really brought down my overall experience.
That being said, this is a fascinating book. The writing and concepts were fun, the plot interesting, and I definitely want to check out more from this author and series (as this is my first entry to it!)
*I received an advance review copy of Stitching Palms for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What I liked:
The setting. I am not an urban fantasy guy, but the setting (the Florida Keys) piqued my curiosity and I really enjoyed everything it had to offer. The way the writing kept things colorful and magical and special really complimented the place and made even the pesky chickens seem endearing. It always felt sweaty and bright and vibrant, and it sparked my appetite in the loveliest ways. I also loved the way the writing described magic, and the different ways it worked with different people. The witch systems themselves were fascinating and creative and clearly have a lot of lore behind them, but everything was introduced naturally and it never felt overwhelming. There was just the right balance to leave me wanting more and enjoying every morsel offered. I also loved Diego - his history, his present, and the links between both. His Way of being a witch was totally unique and it was really cool to see the way his talent was utilized for the plot. I enjoyed most of the other characters too, and was never bored by them.
What I disliked:
The sex scenes did not work for me, at all. I typically don't have any issue with lengthy or frequent sex scenes, but for this book I found myself wanting to blur past them to get right back to the plot, every time. And I'm not quite sure why that is. Maybe there wasn't enough build up from the start, or maybe it was Trav himself, who I couldn't get a solid grip on, personality-wise (which worked great for the plot, but not for convincing passionate romance). The constant inclusion of alcohol as a lead up to the sex also did not help matters. The writing for the scenes themselves was not bad, but they really brought down my overall experience.
That being said, this is a fascinating book. The writing and concepts were fun, the plot interesting, and I definitely want to check out more from this author and series (as this is my first entry to it!)
*I received an advance review copy of Stitching Palms for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat
dark
mysterious
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
criticisms aside for a moment, pacat's writing is phenomenal. the way she builds narrative tension and twists a story until you dont know which way is up or down anymore, leaving you entirely at its mercy, speaks of skill and effort and care and has driven me to be a loyal reader. but that loyalty isn't blind. and reading this felt like skimming the surface of a vast lake. in which its depths lurked the true story that could have been told if pacat was writing without limit. and maybe she always wanted to write this story in the bodies of children. there are points where it makes sense; the possibility of growth, when you arent yet an adult. the sheer bravery of adolescence. but i couldnt shake the feeling of being held back on a tight leash from ever dipping deeper past the surface of this lake. and trying to pull just made me tired.
i can say a hundred times that i wish this wasnt YA, but that won't make it true. whats true is that this book was a lot better than the first. a lot stronger and coherent and focused. the knife was already plunged in during book one, and book two only twisted it deeper. but its impossible to get past the age thing. when we are given scraps of their adult selves. when adults keep coming on to these kids. when there is a 10,000 year old creature living in the body of a 15 year old boy. when the writing itself, at times, feels watered down for a younger audience. either through repetition, or stating the obvious, or dumbing down explanations. its impressive what pacat has managed to create even with these limitations. there are real gems of dialogue, and tension, and word play. of narrative structure, and romance. but with a full cast of children, there's only so far you can push these points for it to be believable or compelling.
i'll still preorder book 3 as soon as i can. but i'll never be able to shake this sad, sour taste from my mouth, at what this could have been.
i can say a hundred times that i wish this wasnt YA, but that won't make it true. whats true is that this book was a lot better than the first. a lot stronger and coherent and focused. the knife was already plunged in during book one, and book two only twisted it deeper. but its impossible to get past the age thing. when we are given scraps of their adult selves. when adults keep coming on to these kids. when there is a 10,000 year old creature living in the body of a 15 year old boy. when the writing itself, at times, feels watered down for a younger audience. either through repetition, or stating the obvious, or dumbing down explanations. its impressive what pacat has managed to create even with these limitations. there are real gems of dialogue, and tension, and word play. of narrative structure, and romance. but with a full cast of children, there's only so far you can push these points for it to be believable or compelling.
i'll still preorder book 3 as soon as i can. but i'll never be able to shake this sad, sour taste from my mouth, at what this could have been.
Ocean's Blood by Thelma Mantey
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I am rounding up my review from 4.5 stars to 5 because despite a few small criticisms I had, I consumed this book in about 2 days and am desperately clawing for the sequel.
The book's description does not do it justice. My eyes honestly glazed over the first time I read it, and I only stopped from backing out of the page when I noticed the comparison to Captive Prince at the end. Which filled me with dread, because despite being one of my favorite series to this day, the few dark gay romances Capri has inspired have failed, in my eyes, to hit the marks that make it so special. But my curiosity got the best of me. What if Ocean's Blood understood the marks? What if /this/ was the book that could finally touch the same vein that Capri first awakened in me, and has been starving ever since?
I can't accurately say how glad I am I gave this book a chance. It delivers on every front, and so much more. It goes beyond its own comparison to Capri and delivers wholly unique lore that always had me fully gripped, despite being relatively exposition heavy (the first of my criticisms). Ocean's Blood delivers vampires under its own name, with enough solid and distinct lore to make that name stick. Singers are terrifying, and the dread they instill from the very first chapter had me enthralled. So did the story, which pulled no punches, and had me feeling gored and helpless as I followed Vindt's painful story.
A lot of dark fantasy, in my experience, tends to shy from going too dark, or loses itself in gratuitous misery at the expense of other elements. Ocean's Blood hit a perfect balance for me. Violence, pain, and blood, yes, but also the careful undercurrents of something more. Something that has no business blossoming under these grim conditions, and I can't wait to see how that thread will no doubt continue in the sequel. Because another thing this book throws itself into wholeheartedly is its /slowburn/. Which, in this day and age, seems to be a dying genre, at least in its fullest form. As well as enemies to lovers (truly enemies!), and oh how delightful it is to find a book that not only understands the assignment but loves it, and wields it to tear at my heart like a singer's own song.
As for Vindt and Ashe - I feel like we've only scratched the surface of their personalities, and knowing that the story isn't finished yet makes me wary of giving an assessment too early. But I'm excited for what was set up for them at the end of this book, and my curiosity for what will happen to them (and between them) will eat at me every day. If it wasn't already obvious, I'm deeply invested, and will sing this book's praises every day if that's what it takes to get the next book released.
My only other criticism is a few minor points where the language broke my immersion ('braincells'? 'vibes'? what year and world does this story take place in, again?) but they were very easy to overlook. For a debut novel this is extremely promising, I have already begun to tell all my friends about it, and anyone else who will listen. This is an author to watch and support by any means.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
The book's description does not do it justice. My eyes honestly glazed over the first time I read it, and I only stopped from backing out of the page when I noticed the comparison to Captive Prince at the end. Which filled me with dread, because despite being one of my favorite series to this day, the few dark gay romances Capri has inspired have failed, in my eyes, to hit the marks that make it so special. But my curiosity got the best of me. What if Ocean's Blood understood the marks? What if /this/ was the book that could finally touch the same vein that Capri first awakened in me, and has been starving ever since?
I can't accurately say how glad I am I gave this book a chance. It delivers on every front, and so much more. It goes beyond its own comparison to Capri and delivers wholly unique lore that always had me fully gripped, despite being relatively exposition heavy (the first of my criticisms). Ocean's Blood delivers vampires under its own name, with enough solid and distinct lore to make that name stick. Singers are terrifying, and the dread they instill from the very first chapter had me enthralled. So did the story, which pulled no punches, and had me feeling gored and helpless as I followed Vindt's painful story.
A lot of dark fantasy, in my experience, tends to shy from going too dark, or loses itself in gratuitous misery at the expense of other elements. Ocean's Blood hit a perfect balance for me. Violence, pain, and blood, yes, but also the careful undercurrents of something more. Something that has no business blossoming under these grim conditions, and I can't wait to see how that thread will no doubt continue in the sequel. Because another thing this book throws itself into wholeheartedly is its /slowburn/. Which, in this day and age, seems to be a dying genre, at least in its fullest form. As well as enemies to lovers (truly enemies!), and oh how delightful it is to find a book that not only understands the assignment but loves it, and wields it to tear at my heart like a singer's own song.
As for Vindt and Ashe - I feel like we've only scratched the surface of their personalities, and knowing that the story isn't finished yet makes me wary of giving an assessment too early. But I'm excited for what was set up for them at the end of this book, and my curiosity for what will happen to them (and between them) will eat at me every day. If it wasn't already obvious, I'm deeply invested, and will sing this book's praises every day if that's what it takes to get the next book released.
My only other criticism is a few minor points where the language broke my immersion ('braincells'? 'vibes'? what year and world does this story take place in, again?) but they were very easy to overlook. For a debut novel this is extremely promising, I have already begun to tell all my friends about it, and anyone else who will listen. This is an author to watch and support by any means.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
Fiorenzo by Sebastian Nothwell
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is going to be a really difficult book to talk about because while I really enjoyed some elements of the story, the writing, and characters, there were just as many parts I had a tough time getting through and would would be hard pressed to find a reader to recommend the full experience to.
My main issue thankfully isn't with the story itself but rather the structure. This is a long book. Which isn't a bad thing, but even as a reader who typically loves brick-like books with lengthy descriptions and tangents and heavy character focus, I really felt like Fiorenzo could have worked better if the word count was halved. It felt like there were three different books here - in that the first 20% was a tense, mysterious erotica that pulled me into a world erupting with vibrant culture and history and artful texture. I loved the beginning of this book, everything from the opening scene to the physical intimacy to the presentation of a city that made me wish I could walk around its streets and harbors and galleries and fountains and art and canals, and I could go on. Even with the fast paced romance unfolding I was intrigued to see where it would lead between these two interesting, complex, confident characters.
But the remaining 80% took such a dramatic pace shift that I struggled with to the very end. Moreso because it kept going back and forth between huge blocks of slow, overly detailed descriptions of mundane events (and never ending self-depreciation), and the actual riveting plot full of cool settings and gripping motivations and impactful consequences. Because like I said, I really liked the story here! But the mundane moments were simply too drawn out and even repetitive. That isn't even to say they needed to be cut out all together, they were just way, way too long and somewhat boring compared to the rest of the book that shined so well. They drowned out some truly interesting sections of story and writing, and made for an overall negative reading experience.
But one more thing I did really enjoy was Enzo's anatomy. I didn't even know before I started reading this book that there would be something of interest there. The author's note had me intrigued, but when I tell you I sat up in excitement and shook my e-reader when I picked up on where exactly it was leading it would be an understatement. Even though Enzo isn't trans or intersex (by the author's word), as a trans man reader I am ecstatic to see broader explorations of non typical anatomy in queer romance. Especially when it's presented as a point of pleasure for the one who has it, and doesn't take away from his masculinity. It's exciting to see, and very enjoyable to read, and I don't think him not being trans or intersex took away from the experience at all. Fictional experiences like these, I think, can actually help normalize the real-world variances present in queer circles, especially because it's not that far off from what some people do have, and it's just plain fun to read. Though, I did feel the actual reveal lacked any feeling of impact or narrative satisfaction, that is again another unfortunate victim of the book's structure.
All in all, this book has a lot of charm and a genuinely compelling story. But it's way too long, with not enough substance to justify it. I'm still glad I finished it, for the sections that did shine, and for the ending that did fill me with a satisfied yet unexpected spark of joy. For the characters, and the art filled world, and the wounds, and the rage, and healing. But I could not read it again, or really recommend it as it is, and that is a huge shame.
This author feels like he has a lot of potential to shine, and I want to know what other queer stories he's written. There are so many elements here that align exactly with what I enjoy. But it would be a challenge to get me to read more from him without the assurance that his other works have had much stronger editing intervention.
This is going to be a really difficult book to talk about because while I really enjoyed some elements of the story, the writing, and characters, there were just as many parts I had a tough time getting through and would would be hard pressed to find a reader to recommend the full experience to.
My main issue thankfully isn't with the story itself but rather the structure. This is a long book. Which isn't a bad thing, but even as a reader who typically loves brick-like books with lengthy descriptions and tangents and heavy character focus, I really felt like Fiorenzo could have worked better if the word count was halved. It felt like there were three different books here - in that the first 20% was a tense, mysterious erotica that pulled me into a world erupting with vibrant culture and history and artful texture. I loved the beginning of this book, everything from the opening scene to the physical intimacy to the presentation of a city that made me wish I could walk around its streets and harbors and galleries and fountains and art and canals, and I could go on. Even with the fast paced romance unfolding I was intrigued to see where it would lead between these two interesting, complex, confident characters.
But the remaining 80% took such a dramatic pace shift that I struggled with to the very end. Moreso because it kept going back and forth between huge blocks of slow, overly detailed descriptions of mundane events (and never ending self-depreciation), and the actual riveting plot full of cool settings and gripping motivations and impactful consequences. Because like I said, I really liked the story here! But the mundane moments were simply too drawn out and even repetitive. That isn't even to say they needed to be cut out all together, they were just way, way too long and somewhat boring compared to the rest of the book that shined so well. They drowned out some truly interesting sections of story and writing, and made for an overall negative reading experience.
But one more thing I did really enjoy was Enzo's anatomy. I didn't even know before I started reading this book that there would be something of interest there. The author's note had me intrigued, but when I tell you I sat up in excitement and shook my e-reader when I picked up on where exactly it was leading it would be an understatement. Even though Enzo isn't trans or intersex (by the author's word), as a trans man reader I am ecstatic to see broader explorations of non typical anatomy in queer romance. Especially when it's presented as a point of pleasure for the one who has it, and doesn't take away from his masculinity. It's exciting to see, and very enjoyable to read, and I don't think him not being trans or intersex took away from the experience at all. Fictional experiences like these, I think, can actually help normalize the real-world variances present in queer circles, especially because it's not that far off from what some people do have, and it's just plain fun to read. Though, I did feel the actual reveal lacked any feeling of impact or narrative satisfaction, that is again another unfortunate victim of the book's structure.
All in all, this book has a lot of charm and a genuinely compelling story. But it's way too long, with not enough substance to justify it. I'm still glad I finished it, for the sections that did shine, and for the ending that did fill me with a satisfied yet unexpected spark of joy. For the characters, and the art filled world, and the wounds, and the rage, and healing. But I could not read it again, or really recommend it as it is, and that is a huge shame.
This author feels like he has a lot of potential to shine, and I want to know what other queer stories he's written. There are so many elements here that align exactly with what I enjoy. But it would be a challenge to get me to read more from him without the assurance that his other works have had much stronger editing intervention.