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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the free advance copy of this book.
- It's hard to review the second book in a duology, so let me just say if you haven't read the first book, DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, yet, go get it now! These books are so beautiful and engrossing. Despite their length, you will fly through them.
- HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR is chock full of action, but the emotional relationships also shine. Both family and romantic relationships are given care and weight.
- I won't give anything away, but know that this is a satisfying conclusion to an incredible duology.
- It's hard to review the second book in a duology, so let me just say if you haven't read the first book, DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, yet, go get it now! These books are so beautiful and engrossing. Despite their length, you will fly through them.
- HEART OF THE SUN WARRIOR is chock full of action, but the emotional relationships also shine. Both family and romantic relationships are given care and weight.
- I won't give anything away, but know that this is a satisfying conclusion to an incredible duology.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Thanks to Ohio State Press for the free advance copy of this book.
- ENGINE RUNNING is a memoir made of snapshots in time. Mason explores the slow dissolution of his family as his parents divorce and remarry, and he and his sister find themselves unable to forgive things their parents have done to them.
- The writing in this book is gorgeous, several passages reading like poetry. Mason's writing is succinct and yet evokes intense feelings of loneliness and of searching.
- I appreciated that this book wasn't entirely centered on coming out. Certainly it was a major part of Mason's story, but it was simply one thread of it.
- ENGINE RUNNING is a memoir made of snapshots in time. Mason explores the slow dissolution of his family as his parents divorce and remarry, and he and his sister find themselves unable to forgive things their parents have done to them.
- The writing in this book is gorgeous, several passages reading like poetry. Mason's writing is succinct and yet evokes intense feelings of loneliness and of searching.
- I appreciated that this book wasn't entirely centered on coming out. Certainly it was a major part of Mason's story, but it was simply one thread of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to Saga Press for the free copy of this book.
- TREAD OF ANGELS is a reimagined fantastical Wild West story, drawing on Biblical and mythological elements.
- As with many novellas, I was left wanting to know more about this world, but Roanhorse still managed to pack in a ton of worldbuilding and quite an array of characters.
- I think a lot of readers might be put off by Celeste's prickliness. I liked that her story arc was essentially about being headstrong and unlikeable, though (and yet, I think a lot of people will be mad at the ending!)
- TREAD OF ANGELS is a reimagined fantastical Wild West story, drawing on Biblical and mythological elements.
- As with many novellas, I was left wanting to know more about this world, but Roanhorse still managed to pack in a ton of worldbuilding and quite an array of characters.
- I think a lot of readers might be put off by Celeste's prickliness. I liked that her story arc was essentially about being headstrong and unlikeable, though (and yet, I think a lot of people will be mad at the ending!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to Tor Books for the free copy of this book.
- LEGENDS & LATTES is the book equivalent of a warm bath, or a gentle hug, or an ASMR video.
- I love that this book is an ode to friendship and community. The book has several characters who are used to doing things by themselves, and then they find each other and discover their lives are fuller if they work together and support each other.
- I hope that with the success of this book, along with other books similar in tone like the MONK & ROBOT books, we might see a subgenre of gentle SFF emerge.
- LEGENDS & LATTES is the book equivalent of a warm bath, or a gentle hug, or an ASMR video.
- I love that this book is an ode to friendship and community. The book has several characters who are used to doing things by themselves, and then they find each other and discover their lives are fuller if they work together and support each other.
- I hope that with the success of this book, along with other books similar in tone like the MONK & ROBOT books, we might see a subgenre of gentle SFF emerge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thanks to Tor Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- A RESTLESS TRUTH was pitched as "lesbian Knives Out on a boat," and WOW does it deliver on that promise! I was so-so on the previous book in this series, A MARVELLOUS LIGHT, feeling that it never struck the right balance between the genres it was blending. This book does that beautifully, and puts at its heart a beautiful story about allowing yourself to be seen as you are.
- The mystery plot of this book is great fun, keeping it silly and surprising even with the high stakes.
- I think you can probably manage to read this book without having read the previous installment, but you'll be better off if you have, since this one doesn't really reexplain the magic system or the the larger ongoing story until well into the book.
- A RESTLESS TRUTH was pitched as "lesbian Knives Out on a boat," and WOW does it deliver on that promise! I was so-so on the previous book in this series, A MARVELLOUS LIGHT, feeling that it never struck the right balance between the genres it was blending. This book does that beautifully, and puts at its heart a beautiful story about allowing yourself to be seen as you are.
- The mystery plot of this book is great fun, keeping it silly and surprising even with the high stakes.
- I think you can probably manage to read this book without having read the previous installment, but you'll be better off if you have, since this one doesn't really reexplain the magic system or the the larger ongoing story until well into the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Thanks to PRH Audio for the free copy of this book.
- STAY TRUE is a meandering memoir, a book that truly captures the roaming of the mind that happens in college friendships as you are trying to figure out yourself and your relationship to the world.
- The blending of pop culture and philosophy in this book is wonderful, prompting deep consideration of how we choose to present ourselves and interact with others.
- The last portion of this book, after Ken’s death, is really hard. I think Hsu nailed that feeling of being unmoored after a loss, and it’s painful and beautiful to follow him as he tries to make sense of it all.
- STAY TRUE is a meandering memoir, a book that truly captures the roaming of the mind that happens in college friendships as you are trying to figure out yourself and your relationship to the world.
- The blending of pop culture and philosophy in this book is wonderful, prompting deep consideration of how we choose to present ourselves and interact with others.
- The last portion of this book, after Ken’s death, is really hard. I think Hsu nailed that feeling of being unmoored after a loss, and it’s painful and beautiful to follow him as he tries to make sense of it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-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:
No
Thanks to Page Street YA and Pride Book Tours for the free copy of this book.
- THE SEVENFOLD HUNTERS is tense and action packed, mysterious and full of heart. I fell quickly for the central squad, rooting for them in their race against the clock.
- I loved this idea that the aliens were what we generally call vampires, and that there was a whole secret military and bureaucratic apparatus built to fight them and keep their existence a secret from the larger world.
- I also loved that in this book nearly everyone is queer in some capacity, and the diversity of backgrounds and identities in the main crew felt natural and effortless.
- THE SEVENFOLD HUNTERS is tense and action packed, mysterious and full of heart. I fell quickly for the central squad, rooting for them in their race against the clock.
- I loved this idea that the aliens were what we generally call vampires, and that there was a whole secret military and bureaucratic apparatus built to fight them and keep their existence a secret from the larger world.
- I also loved that in this book nearly everyone is queer in some capacity, and the diversity of backgrounds and identities in the main crew felt natural and effortless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Car accident