I wish I'd read these all in quick succession, because you really need to remember details from books 1 and 2 to fully enjoy this. Still, it was absurI wish I'd read these all in quick succession, because you really need to remember details from books 1 and 2 to fully enjoy this. Still, it was absurd and delightful. Might start the next book soon....more
This book could have been 5 stars. The world building was glorious. The characters were incredible. The plot itself wasn't bad.
It was too big for its This book could have been 5 stars. The world building was glorious. The characters were incredible. The plot itself wasn't bad.
It was too big for its britches, though.
My first hang up is that this book follows the trend of dropping the reader directly into the mix of things with the expectation they'll keep up. Sometimes this works. In this case, I stayed disoriented through the entire book. "Wait, what happened?" was my internal monologue even in the final pages
There were also way too many characters. This is a novella. Why are there over 20 characters? Why are there multiple characters who answer to multiple names? Why are we bouncing between present and past without indication (at least in the audiobook)? Can the main character astral project or was I that bad at following the setting?
The final thing that dropped this out of being a 5 star was that there was so much extra stuff. This book has a basic, classic plot: man vs beast. It's gussied up into sorcerer versus magical beast, that makes sense. But somehow it also becomes sorcerer becomes a caravan guard and bonds with other guards and is gay and all the merchants are dicks and there's so many different languages being spoken and translated and oh yeah there's a magical beast kill it and end the novella. Why the excess? Why all these irrelevant characters?...more
This book has single handedly convinced me I should read Legends. I love the mix of history, philosophy, mystery, political intrigue, and changing vieThis book has single handedly convinced me I should read Legends. I love the mix of history, philosophy, mystery, political intrigue, and changing viewing points. I'm so glad I already got my hands on the second book....more
Sorority House cannibals! I don't think I need to say anything past that, but I will.
Girl Dinner starts off like every all femTHIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!
Sorority House cannibals! I don't think I need to say anything past that, but I will.
Girl Dinner starts off like every all female literary fiction book you've ever read: debating the merits of girlboss vs successful tradwife without actually getting anywhere, explaining in agonizing detail how awful it is to be a new mother in an unsupportive environment, how All Men Suck, and being so casually TERF-y I had to double check that this was, in fact, published by Tor. It's captivating in it's way, but it almost fooled me...
Until they started drinking blood.
From that moment on I was hooked. Spellbound. Enraptured. Every moment I wasn't finding out what happened next was a moment wasted. How dare I have to go to work under such conditions. Absolutely awful of me to have had plans last weekend instead of binging this to the bitter end.
I especially liked the author's note clarifying that this is a satire and not a guide on how to be feminist (as well as recommending books on feminism to read!). Sloane and Nina both come off as so painfully cishet (which is especially wild given Nina's plot arc but I said what I said) and having it confirmed that this is on purpose was relieving.
All in all I really enjoyed this book, and I think I need to read more Olivie Blake going forward....more
I want to start off saying that P Djeli Clark is an auto buy author for me. I love his work. I love his ideas. I know what I'm signing up for when I bI want to start off saying that P Djeli Clark is an auto buy author for me. I love his work. I love his ideas. I know what I'm signing up for when I buy one of his books.
Whatever this was, wasn't it.
A Master of Djinn has such a fantastic premise. A butch lesbian detective in fantasy 1920's Cairo kicking ass, taking names, and showing stupid colonists what's what whole solving a supernatural murder mystery? What could possibly screw this up?
Fatma.
Fatma is an incompetent mediocre white man who happens to be born as a female Egyptian and have flashier looking suits but the same bowler hat. She's supposed to be the hottest shot in her entire department but can't even notice that she's been dating a djinn for over a year. She's actively sexist (despite breaking a glass ceiling, herself), actively prejudiced against those who are religious, and actively upholds institutions that call for an imbalance of power, even while being openly called out for such a thing.
Fatma reads like a villain but is portrayed like a hero. And when the plot gets lost about 50% through the book (after Fatma gets chewed out for being sexist and prejudiced but for which she does not change), Clark decides A Master of Djinn should be a Lord of the Rings retelling, complete with an Equate brand Gollum and direct quotes from the movie.
This book left me mind bogglingly disappointed and confused. Is this the same author who wrote Ring Shout?? How??
I was actively disgusted by the main character. The world building was phenomenal but it doesn't save the story when the main character is the poster child for ACAB....more
I listened to this one audiobook and it took 2.5 years but I did get it done. My thoughts are narrated by Ralph Lister right now but that's OK. He's sI listened to this one audiobook and it took 2.5 years but I did get it done. My thoughts are narrated by Ralph Lister right now but that's OK. He's super good.
This book was WILD, oh my god. So many things happened. My jaw dropped so many times. This might actually be my favorite book of the series so far.
Couldn't tell you why it took me so long to read this one. it's so good.Couldn't tell you why it took me so long to read this one. it's so good....more
Convoluted writing style, a backstory that didn't mesh well, a plot where Tarkin didn't seem to be the hero in his own book. Meh.Convoluted writing style, a backstory that didn't mesh well, a plot where Tarkin didn't seem to be the hero in his own book. Meh....more
It took me a hot minute to warm up to Anakin/Vader in this book; he's got such emotional immaturity and I find that super duper annoying. It'll be intIt took me a hot minute to warm up to Anakin/Vader in this book; he's got such emotional immaturity and I find that super duper annoying. It'll be interesting to see what happens in book 3, though....more
I was not prepared for sexual assault to be the major theme of this volume, and I don't like the way it was handled.I was not prepared for sexual assault to be the major theme of this volume, and I don't like the way it was handled....more
This was good! Kind of disjointed. I don't love teasing 355 and Yorick together. The whole theater troupe thing was kind of ridiculous- they all suckeThis was good! Kind of disjointed. I don't love teasing 355 and Yorick together. The whole theater troupe thing was kind of ridiculous- they all sucked? Just, caricature on caricature of women? But otherwise good....more
Oh this has already redeemed the series for me. I loved Sonia and Lydia. Hero sucks but that is what it is. Don't love the queerbaiting, but it's fromOh this has already redeemed the series for me. I loved Sonia and Lydia. Hero sucks but that is what it is. Don't love the queerbaiting, but it's from, what, 2003? So it gets a reluctant pass there....more
Yorick is so selfish and self absorbed. I feel like this book just enforces negative stereotypes on both sides of the gender divide, and it hasn't ageYorick is so selfish and self absorbed. I feel like this book just enforces negative stereotypes on both sides of the gender divide, and it hasn't aged well: turning stadiums into mass burial sites like women have never played sports in their life, for example? Tell that to Megan Rapinoe and Caitlin Clark, I'll wait. Anyway I'm hoping for more in upcoming volumes....more
This was so good!! I want to read through this full series. I will say: it feels very autism coded. But also, it's so good.This was so good!! I want to read through this full series. I will say: it feels very autism coded. But also, it's so good....more
DNF. The premise is cool but this didn't hold my attention (to be fair, I have a lot happening in my personal life so take my attention span with a grDNF. The premise is cool but this didn't hold my attention (to be fair, I have a lot happening in my personal life so take my attention span with a grain of salt). I liked the dark academia vibe but yeah, too slow to grip me.
Merged review:
DNF. The premise is cool but this didn't hold my attention (to be fair, I have a lot happening in my personal life so take my attention span with a grain of salt). I liked the dark academia vibe but yeah, too slow to grip me....more
