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yellowbinge's reviews
287 reviews
Antenora by Dori Lumpkin
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Publishing date: 01.10.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR; Two girls don't fit in, let's force them to fit in, oh no consequences
Antenora fits a very specific aesthetic and mood that seems to almost always work for me. Witch Hunt era set in small hyper religious towns where a woman or girl don't fit the "mold" and consequences ensue. For both the woman and the people ...
The story is told in a past tense first person view. The main character relays the events to us, but how long ago I do not know. All I know is that this style of storytelling worked wonders here. It was really engaging and easy to read. I was blasting through the pages.
Our characters are two young girls who don't "fit the mold" of the little town. Although one is better at masking this than the other and that becomes clear very early on. But they are close friends, and the consequences of one person's action here affects more than just themself. I found the friendship to be a little one-sided and maybe a little hard to believe. Might just be me.
This work was surprisingly graphic. It does not shy away from gore and violence. One of the first "events" shocked me a little but set the tone quick and easy.
All in all, this book was exactly what I wanted. The mood, the vibes, the events unfolding, all great. If you like the things I described early on this might absolutely be for you. Highly recommend it. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR; Two girls don't fit in, let's force them to fit in, oh no consequences
Antenora fits a very specific aesthetic and mood that seems to almost always work for me. Witch Hunt era set in small hyper religious towns where a woman or girl don't fit the "mold" and consequences ensue. For both the woman and the people ...
The story is told in a past tense first person view. The main character relays the events to us, but how long ago I do not know. All I know is that this style of storytelling worked wonders here. It was really engaging and easy to read. I was blasting through the pages.
Our characters are two young girls who don't "fit the mold" of the little town. Although one is better at masking this than the other and that becomes clear very early on. But they are close friends, and the consequences of one person's action here affects more than just themself. I found the friendship to be a little one-sided and maybe a little hard to believe. Might just be me.
This work was surprisingly graphic. It does not shy away from gore and violence. One of the first "events" shocked me a little but set the tone quick and easy.
All in all, this book was exactly what I wanted. The mood, the vibes, the events unfolding, all great. If you like the things I described early on this might absolutely be for you. Highly recommend it. 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Milk Sickness by David Greenspan
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
Publishing date: 03.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Querencia Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I ... Have no words. To preface, this isn't the worst thing I have ever read. But it felt like going to another planet and attempting to learn the language and customs in a very short amount of time.
The way this is written is clearly meant to have a deeper meaning and be philosophical. But it went over my head. While reading I had this thought in the back of my head: "did the author have thesaurus up in the background or something?"
Clearly the author has a lot of talent, but the execution here might fly over a lot of people's heads. 2 stars, not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Querencia Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
I ... Have no words. To preface, this isn't the worst thing I have ever read. But it felt like going to another planet and attempting to learn the language and customs in a very short amount of time.
The way this is written is clearly meant to have a deeper meaning and be philosophical. But it went over my head. While reading I had this thought in the back of my head: "did the author have thesaurus up in the background or something?"
Clearly the author has a lot of talent, but the execution here might fly over a lot of people's heads. 2 stars, not for me.
Blade of Castrial by Niranjan
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
2.0
Publishing date: 31.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Geetha Krishnan for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
Starting to read a series with a novella has worked for me before, I thought it might here too. It didn't.
My problems:
Thrown into the politics of the world with barely any information
Not much happens at all, and what does happen isn't that interesting
I was more interested in the world than the couple, and they got a lot of attention
The ending was deeply unsatisfying
All of this together left me uninterested in the series as a whole. I noticed that a lot of other people did enjoy this, so I will assume it is a me-problem. Maybe I should have started with the first full book of the series instead of the novella. However, I suspect I won't pick it up. 2 stars, not what I expected.
Thank you to NetGalley and Geetha Krishnan for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
Starting to read a series with a novella has worked for me before, I thought it might here too. It didn't.
My problems:
Thrown into the politics of the world with barely any information
Not much happens at all, and what does happen isn't that interesting
I was more interested in the world than the couple, and they got a lot of attention
The ending was deeply unsatisfying
All of this together left me uninterested in the series as a whole. I noticed that a lot of other people did enjoy this, so I will assume it is a me-problem. Maybe I should have started with the first full book of the series instead of the novella. However, I suspect I won't pick it up. 2 stars, not what I expected.
What Protects Our Heritage and Other Aberrations by Villimey Mist
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Publishing date: 26.11.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
Do you like folk tales with a little horror on the side? Do you like Nordic themes and settings? Do you like unexplainable events and creatures? Then this might be for you.
I have sat on my thoughts for a while about this book, and I have come to the conclusion that it is an okay book with a few gold nuggets hidden between the cracks. The stories are usually fine, if a little bland sometimes. Sometimes we get satisfying endings, other times I was left disappointed. This is what you should expect of a collection.
I think the mosquito story and the first story with the little "devil child" were the best ones. They made me feel just a little more than the others.
Okay book, okay stories. Might not have been meant for me, but maybe it is for you. 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
Do you like folk tales with a little horror on the side? Do you like Nordic themes and settings? Do you like unexplainable events and creatures? Then this might be for you.
I have sat on my thoughts for a while about this book, and I have come to the conclusion that it is an okay book with a few gold nuggets hidden between the cracks. The stories are usually fine, if a little bland sometimes. Sometimes we get satisfying endings, other times I was left disappointed. This is what you should expect of a collection.
I think the mosquito story and the first story with the little "devil child" were the best ones. They made me feel just a little more than the others.
Okay book, okay stories. Might not have been meant for me, but maybe it is for you. 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, and Child death
Anywhere Imaginable by David Demro
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
Publishing date: 31.12.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
This collection explores a variety of themes: fatherhood, grief, growing up, every day, relationships. The usual in collections like these. I think the variety served this collection very well.
It also had a "story" going on in the background which I assume is based on the author's real life as he wrote the collection. Nice touch and nice to see some concrete development.
Sweet little read. Couldn't connect with everything, as is typical of collections. But I think this is a great entryway into poetry. 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
This collection explores a variety of themes: fatherhood, grief, growing up, every day, relationships. The usual in collections like these. I think the variety served this collection very well.
It also had a "story" going on in the background which I assume is based on the author's real life as he wrote the collection. Nice touch and nice to see some concrete development.
Sweet little read. Couldn't connect with everything, as is typical of collections. But I think this is a great entryway into poetry. 3 stars.
Like a Breath of Flame: Erotic Tales of Dragons by David Hubbard, Dominic Santi, Cecilia Tan, Kannan Feng, Cosmin Alexander, Steven Schwartz, Nobilis Reed, K.J. Kabza, Julian Oliver-Fenn, Kimber Camacho, Dean Scarborough
adventurous
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
3.0
Publishing date: 12.12.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: The dragons are indeed in on the action
Thoughts, so many thoughts, none of them are family friendly. Neither is this book.
This kind of book is not for everyone, not at all. This is for the weirdos (affectionate) like me. Are you a little alternative? A little on the gay side? Do you have your monster f**ker permit? Then this will be up your alley.
The book features so many different scenarios, pairings (and groups), and ... positions ;--)
Lots of variety to be had. The spice itself varies from story to story, but one thing is consistent in every single one. There are dragons, and usually the dragon is part of the action. Love it. Also, there is so much gay action. A little surprising, but pleasantly so!
Personally I found the first story to be most interesting. Wish that concept was explored further.
I will give it three stars, the writing could vary, the quality of the story varied lots also, as is typical of a collection. Do recommend for the audience mentioned earlier!
Thank you to NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: The dragons are indeed in on the action
Thoughts, so many thoughts, none of them are family friendly. Neither is this book.
This kind of book is not for everyone, not at all. This is for the weirdos (affectionate) like me. Are you a little alternative? A little on the gay side? Do you have your monster f**ker permit? Then this will be up your alley.
The book features so many different scenarios, pairings (and groups), and ... positions ;--)
Lots of variety to be had. The spice itself varies from story to story, but one thing is consistent in every single one. There are dragons, and usually the dragon is part of the action. Love it. Also, there is so much gay action. A little surprising, but pleasantly so!
Personally I found the first story to be most interesting. Wish that concept was explored further.
I will give it three stars, the writing could vary, the quality of the story varied lots also, as is typical of a collection. Do recommend for the audience mentioned earlier!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Publishing date: 24.12.2024 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Gothic, romantic, a little slow to start, and also full of dead bodies
I have many thoughts about this book, and this review is not going to be coherent so strap in.
The setting and the atmosphere of this book? Oh I loved it dearly. It was so gothic and so London I simply couldn't believe it. I was envisioning dingy brick buildings, a light drizzle, dark streets lit up by too few street lamps, the smell of petrichor in the air, and of course people dressed in suits and simple gowns. The whole time reading I was somewhere completely different than where I was really sitting. I felt like a spectator to the spectacle in front of me.
The characters ... Hit and miss. There is a very clear distinction between the main characters and the side-characters. Some weren't fleshed out at all and had only their name to go by. Some had attempted "fleshings" but were still somewhat flat and bare. This is a little nitpick only, I wish more people in the background had more going on for them.
The romance? Oh hell yeah. It had the perfect amount of "we don't care who catches us in the act", but also "ohmygod we are going to be hanged if anyone sees us". A good blend of companionship and desire. These two were so good together. The moment the relationship was "estabølished" I was hooked. Stunning work.
The story itself had a hard time actually catching me in the beginning I fear. I was waiting for things to happen, things happened, then it didn't really carry on anywhere. It kept this strange pace almost throughout the whole book. Except for the final 20% or so, that's where the story took a more exciting turn. For me at least. Maybe the pace fits others fine, but I wish it was more focused or had more events scattered throughout. Another nitpick truly.
All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the book. Really enjoyed the time I got with it. Highly recommend to those who like the "walk in a graveyard" vibe. 4.5 stars, stunning read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Gothic, romantic, a little slow to start, and also full of dead bodies
I have many thoughts about this book, and this review is not going to be coherent so strap in.
The setting and the atmosphere of this book? Oh I loved it dearly. It was so gothic and so London I simply couldn't believe it. I was envisioning dingy brick buildings, a light drizzle, dark streets lit up by too few street lamps, the smell of petrichor in the air, and of course people dressed in suits and simple gowns. The whole time reading I was somewhere completely different than where I was really sitting. I felt like a spectator to the spectacle in front of me.
The characters ... Hit and miss. There is a very clear distinction between the main characters and the side-characters. Some weren't fleshed out at all and had only their name to go by. Some had attempted "fleshings" but were still somewhat flat and bare. This is a little nitpick only, I wish more people in the background had more going on for them.
The romance? Oh hell yeah. It had the perfect amount of "we don't care who catches us in the act", but also "ohmygod we are going to be hanged if anyone sees us". A good blend of companionship and desire. These two were so good together. The moment the relationship was "estabølished" I was hooked. Stunning work.
The story itself had a hard time actually catching me in the beginning I fear. I was waiting for things to happen, things happened, then it didn't really carry on anywhere. It kept this strange pace almost throughout the whole book. Except for the final 20% or so, that's where the story took a more exciting turn. For me at least. Maybe the pace fits others fine, but I wish it was more focused or had more events scattered throughout. Another nitpick truly.
All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the book. Really enjoyed the time I got with it. Highly recommend to those who like the "walk in a graveyard" vibe. 4.5 stars, stunning read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Hi, Earth by Elizabeth Pich, Jonathan Kunz
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Publishing date: 01.04.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Satirical comics strips about climate change
This was so sweet! I love a little satirical humor, which this comic consists almost 100% of. The art is nice to look at, the conversations are very "now", it doesn't repeat itself too much with the same types of jokes.
I enjoyed this a lot. Highly recommend, especially to those who like satirical comic strips. 4.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Satirical comics strips about climate change
This was so sweet! I love a little satirical humor, which this comic consists almost 100% of. The art is nice to look at, the conversations are very "now", it doesn't repeat itself too much with the same types of jokes.
I enjoyed this a lot. Highly recommend, especially to those who like satirical comic strips. 4.5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Death
What She Wants by Kim Dower
reflective
fast-paced
2.0
Publishing date: 14.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Confusing and obsessive
I will cut straight to the chase here; this was a big miss for me. Usually collections (short stories or poems) that are about love and desire hits that sweet spot for me. This one missed the mark by a long shot.
The poems were confusing. I couldn't make out any proper connection. Most were too similar to each other or rewrites of the same thing. The poems were either too obsessed with man/men or the woman herself.
I just couldn't connect with it in any meaningful way. Neither am I sure who this is for ... 2 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: Confusing and obsessive
I will cut straight to the chase here; this was a big miss for me. Usually collections (short stories or poems) that are about love and desire hits that sweet spot for me. This one missed the mark by a long shot.
The poems were confusing. I couldn't make out any proper connection. Most were too similar to each other or rewrites of the same thing. The poems were either too obsessed with man/men or the woman herself.
I just couldn't connect with it in any meaningful way. Neither am I sure who this is for ... 2 stars.
The Book of David by Jean-Luke Swanepoel
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Publishing date: 30.01.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Jean-Luke Swanepoel for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: A little confusing and rambly, has conversations about the more uncomfortable aspects of relationships
I was really excited to read his book when I received my ARC copy. Now I am left feeling conflicted and unsure where to place it amongst my other books.
This story is a tragedy. Of love and the sacrifices we make for it. The ups and downs, the conflicts and celebrations. I think it might hit home for a lot of people. Personally, it didn't hit for me. That's more of a me problem though.
Another thing that bothered me was the way the passage of time was handled. A lot of the time I would be thrown into a scenario and wonder whether it was the past or present. A little confusing. The writing style also doesn't help. I would say it is akin to improvising a presentation where you pull the first thought out of your head. A little unfiltered and a little hard to follow along.
Now, even with these downers, I was left thinking. This book shows a different side of relationships that are rarely shown in other pieces of media. How other people affect the relationship. The complexities of two different people in union. How incompatible and compatible people can be. It was uncomfortable to read, but something I needed to read.
All in all, I will give this 3 stars. It has both good and bad things going for it. If you are interested and can look past rambly writing, then read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Jean-Luke Swanepoel for the ARC. My opinions are my own.
TLDR: A little confusing and rambly, has conversations about the more uncomfortable aspects of relationships
I was really excited to read his book when I received my ARC copy. Now I am left feeling conflicted and unsure where to place it amongst my other books.
This story is a tragedy. Of love and the sacrifices we make for it. The ups and downs, the conflicts and celebrations. I think it might hit home for a lot of people. Personally, it didn't hit for me. That's more of a me problem though.
Another thing that bothered me was the way the passage of time was handled. A lot of the time I would be thrown into a scenario and wonder whether it was the past or present. A little confusing. The writing style also doesn't help. I would say it is akin to improvising a presentation where you pull the first thought out of your head. A little unfiltered and a little hard to follow along.
Now, even with these downers, I was left thinking. This book shows a different side of relationships that are rarely shown in other pieces of media. How other people affect the relationship. The complexities of two different people in union. How incompatible and compatible people can be. It was uncomfortable to read, but something I needed to read.
All in all, I will give this 3 stars. It has both good and bad things going for it. If you are interested and can look past rambly writing, then read it.