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I'm not too sure how I feel about this book enough though I know that I liked it.
I really wasn't hooked or intrigued by the story or it's characters until there was only 70 or so pages left (the first copy will be 320 pages, my e-arc was 236, you can do the math). It read like a prequel. Like the story could've started at a later time, and the first parts of the novel would've been released as a novella in-between this and it's sequel, ya know?
I think I'm going to read the sequel, because it leaves on a pretty significant cliff hanger, but I think I'll see about it's reviews first. Obviously the reviews for this are already pretty high, and I'm giving it a 4/5 so I didn't hate it at all. I actually quite enjoyed myself. I liked the sci-fi world that was created and the stories and cultures weaved into it, I liked the concept and that it didn't go the way I thought it might've, and I liked the female friendships that transpire. I just wished that it was shorter, and maybe a little less info-dumpy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron/Macmillan for the e-arc!
I really wasn't hooked or intrigued by the story or it's characters until there was only 70 or so pages left (the first copy will be 320 pages, my e-arc was 236, you can do the math). It read like a prequel. Like the story could've started at a later time, and the first parts of the novel would've been released as a novella in-between this and it's sequel, ya know?
I think I'm going to read the sequel, because it leaves on a pretty significant cliff hanger, but I think I'll see about it's reviews first. Obviously the reviews for this are already pretty high, and I'm giving it a 4/5 so I didn't hate it at all. I actually quite enjoyed myself. I liked the sci-fi world that was created and the stories and cultures weaved into it, I liked the concept and that it didn't go the way I thought it might've, and I liked the female friendships that transpire. I just wished that it was shorter, and maybe a little less info-dumpy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron/Macmillan for the e-arc!
TW: sexual assault, residential school, trauma
Like every one else, I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely powerful and horrible, but I liked that the end felt hopeful, despite the world the characters continue to live in.
The only reason I had to knock off a star was that the writing wasn't really my favourite. It did a lot of dragging along for a novel that thrives on story-telling and Indigenous culture. There was also quite a few fat-phobic remarks that made me uncomfortable and were totally unnecessary.
Like every one else, I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely powerful and horrible, but I liked that the end felt hopeful, despite the world the characters continue to live in.
The only reason I had to knock off a star was that the writing wasn't really my favourite. It did a lot of dragging along for a novel that thrives on story-telling and Indigenous culture. There was also quite a few fat-phobic remarks that made me uncomfortable and were totally unnecessary.
I honestly would write an entire thesis on this duology because there's so much to unpack and it's so good both from a casual reading stand-point and a critical reading/english major eye. I'm just so blown away and as long as you're okay with a lot of violence you should really read this duology. Seriously. Do it. Now.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper for the E-ARC!
Overall, I really loved this anthology and can't wait to start recommending it to people when it comes out. A couple of the stories weren't my favourite and didn't feel cohesive enough to be a short story. Which is tricky, because there were also some that I loved and thought worked well as a short story and would read a whole novel about! Short stories are tricky, but part of my major is creative writing and I have written more than my fair share of them, so I think I may be a bit harder when it comes to them in a way a casual reader would not be.
I loved that the author got to write a little blurb after their story outlining the tale they've based their narrative off of and what they changed and why, which I loved and as a white person with basically no culture, I loved getting to hear some new stories. Many of the stories had a feminist twist to them as well - which a few author mentioned they did purposely, as some of the tales paint the woman in a bad light - which is fitting for an anthology with a majority of woman writers.
My rating averages 3.6 stars across the 15 stories, but here are my ratings broken down:
Forbidden Fruit - Roshani Chokshi
5/5 - I love Chokshi's writing a lot, and I love the way this was told like an actual fairytale in its tone.
Olivia’s Table - Alyssa Wong
5/5 - I cried. Reminded me a bit of Man, by Kim Thuy because of the heavy presence of food in it's main theme (though that novel Vietnamese, where this story is Chinese).
Steel Skin - Lori M. Lee
3/5 - Super interesting, but I felt like it was too disconnected to be a short story.
Still Star-Crossed - Sona Charaipotra
3/5 - The plot wasn't enough for me. Not sure if this makes sense, but it felt loose? I still enjoyed it, though.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads - Aliette De Bodard
3/5 - I was kinda bored by this one, but I liked the depth of the story.
The Land of the Morning Calm - E.C. Myers
3.5/5 - Good, but I wish it was richer, like the what the author describes in their blurb at the end. World-building is difficult in a short story, but I think it could have been incorporated, had we not been given so much extra family fluff.
The Smile - Aisha Saeed
5/5 - That’s how you write a flushed out short story! Love the feminist vibes, too. I really want to read her other works, now!
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers - Pretti Chhibber
2/5 - this one was super boring to me, and I kinda hated the plot, it just felt super juvenile.
Nothing into All - Renee Ahdieh
4/5 - Love the depth to this story, and it’s a perfect tale for a story this size.
Spear Carrier - Rahul Kanakia
2/5 - Maybe it’s just cause I hate the style of narrative that addresses the reader directly, but this was so boring to me. There is so much more of a world that needs to be flushed out here, and there wasn’t enough room. And minimal character development.
Code of Honor - Melissa De La Cruz
4/5 - THAT’S FUCKING COOL! A great short story, cohesive enough, and god damn do I want to read her blue blood series now!
Bullet, Butterfly - Elsie Chapman
4/5 - Love the world chapman created around the two characters. Super interesting! Normally, I hate a plot based around gender-bending. But it redeems itself!
Daughter of the Sun - Shveta Thakrar
4/5 - a bit of a higher rating after reading the author’s blurb afterwards. Knowing the way she twined the two epics together makes me appreciate the story a bit more.
The Crimson Cloak - Cindy Pon
3/5 - Not much plot to make me want more, where was the conflict? I liked the tale, nonetheless.
Eyes Like Candlelight - Julie Kagawa
4/5 - Love the complexity of the characters. I would love to read a whole novel about Yuki!
This is a fantastic anthology and I learned a lot of cool new stories from it, so I totally recommend picking it up in June!
Overall, I really loved this anthology and can't wait to start recommending it to people when it comes out. A couple of the stories weren't my favourite and didn't feel cohesive enough to be a short story. Which is tricky, because there were also some that I loved and thought worked well as a short story and would read a whole novel about! Short stories are tricky, but part of my major is creative writing and I have written more than my fair share of them, so I think I may be a bit harder when it comes to them in a way a casual reader would not be.
I loved that the author got to write a little blurb after their story outlining the tale they've based their narrative off of and what they changed and why, which I loved and as a white person with basically no culture, I loved getting to hear some new stories. Many of the stories had a feminist twist to them as well - which a few author mentioned they did purposely, as some of the tales paint the woman in a bad light - which is fitting for an anthology with a majority of woman writers.
My rating averages 3.6 stars across the 15 stories, but here are my ratings broken down:
Forbidden Fruit - Roshani Chokshi
5/5 - I love Chokshi's writing a lot, and I love the way this was told like an actual fairytale in its tone.
Olivia’s Table - Alyssa Wong
5/5 - I cried. Reminded me a bit of Man, by Kim Thuy because of the heavy presence of food in it's main theme (though that novel Vietnamese, where this story is Chinese).
Steel Skin - Lori M. Lee
3/5 - Super interesting, but I felt like it was too disconnected to be a short story.
Still Star-Crossed - Sona Charaipotra
3/5 - The plot wasn't enough for me. Not sure if this makes sense, but it felt loose? I still enjoyed it, though.
The Counting of Vermillion Beads - Aliette De Bodard
3/5 - I was kinda bored by this one, but I liked the depth of the story.
The Land of the Morning Calm - E.C. Myers
3.5/5 - Good, but I wish it was richer, like the what the author describes in their blurb at the end. World-building is difficult in a short story, but I think it could have been incorporated, had we not been given so much extra family fluff.
The Smile - Aisha Saeed
5/5 - That’s how you write a flushed out short story! Love the feminist vibes, too. I really want to read her other works, now!
Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers - Pretti Chhibber
2/5 - this one was super boring to me, and I kinda hated the plot, it just felt super juvenile.
Nothing into All - Renee Ahdieh
4/5 - Love the depth to this story, and it’s a perfect tale for a story this size.
Spear Carrier - Rahul Kanakia
2/5 - Maybe it’s just cause I hate the style of narrative that addresses the reader directly, but this was so boring to me. There is so much more of a world that needs to be flushed out here, and there wasn’t enough room. And minimal character development.
Code of Honor - Melissa De La Cruz
4/5 - THAT’S FUCKING COOL! A great short story, cohesive enough, and god damn do I want to read her blue blood series now!
Bullet, Butterfly - Elsie Chapman
4/5 - Love the world chapman created around the two characters. Super interesting! Normally, I hate a plot based around gender-bending. But it redeems itself!
Daughter of the Sun - Shveta Thakrar
4/5 - a bit of a higher rating after reading the author’s blurb afterwards. Knowing the way she twined the two epics together makes me appreciate the story a bit more.
The Crimson Cloak - Cindy Pon
3/5 - Not much plot to make me want more, where was the conflict? I liked the tale, nonetheless.
Eyes Like Candlelight - Julie Kagawa
4/5 - Love the complexity of the characters. I would love to read a whole novel about Yuki!
This is a fantastic anthology and I learned a lot of cool new stories from it, so I totally recommend picking it up in June!
Alright, so this was interesting... and completely unnecessary.
I would've much preferred this book had it all been in Juliette's POV. Every time we switched back and forth stuff just got repeated a lot and it really took me out of the story. I'll be honest, I skimmed A LOT just because we were being told the same information over and over and over again. Scene that could've easily been edited down to "I filled Kenji in on what happened the night before" SOMETHING. On a related note, so much information is revealed throughout in these long explanations and it's just a lot of info dumping. The beginning and the middle, in particular. But the beginning has to work twice as hard as the rest of the book because it struggles to fill in all the bits we need coming from Ignite Me, which was supposed to be the conclusion. It was just poorly paced.
I liked the introduction of the other supreme commanders kids, and Nazeera is the only character I could stand in this novel.
Warner and Juliette continue to both be unbearable idiots. I thought we were done with "broken Juliette" but we get even more excerpts from her journal in the asylum I didn't really care about.
I also noticed a lot of extra words. There's so much fluff. So much that could be edited out and be replaced with better pacing.
Overall, I just didn't care enough. I want to CARE about the characters I'm reading about. So, 2/5 stars.
I would've much preferred this book had it all been in Juliette's POV. Every time we switched back and forth stuff just got repeated a lot and it really took me out of the story. I'll be honest, I skimmed A LOT just because we were being told the same information over and over and over again. Scene that could've easily been edited down to "I filled Kenji in on what happened the night before" SOMETHING. On a related note, so much information is revealed throughout in these long explanations and it's just a lot of info dumping. The beginning and the middle, in particular. But the beginning has to work twice as hard as the rest of the book because it struggles to fill in all the bits we need coming from Ignite Me, which was supposed to be the conclusion. It was just poorly paced.
I liked the introduction of the other supreme commanders kids, and Nazeera is the only character I could stand in this novel.
Warner and Juliette continue to both be unbearable idiots. I thought we were done with "broken Juliette" but we get even more excerpts from her journal in the asylum I didn't really care about.
I also noticed a lot of extra words. There's so much fluff. So much that could be edited out and be replaced with better pacing.
Overall, I just didn't care enough. I want to CARE about the characters I'm reading about. So, 2/5 stars.
re-read March 2021:
BIG jump down in rating here. I remember this being less boring and more fluffy? But it was boring and, hence, not fluffy enough.
Basically we've been blessed with a whole book as an epilogue and I'm ok with that.
Also that chapter for the spin off series... ALL THE YES.
BIG jump down in rating here. I remember this being less boring and more fluffy? But it was boring and, hence, not fluffy enough.
Basically we've been blessed with a whole book as an epilogue and I'm ok with that.
Also that chapter for the spin off series... ALL THE YES.
While I really enjoyed this book, I didn't love it as much as a lot of other people seem too. I still really liked it, obviously, since I gave it 4/5 stars, but I felt like something was missing and I'm not too sure what it was. I think it could be a product of the constant time and point-of-view jumps that left me feeling a bit disconnected from the story.
I still really loved it though, the characters felt so complex, and the world was obviously very well thought-out. Not sure if I'll read the second when it comes out, but I'm definitely intrigued.
I still really loved it though, the characters felt so complex, and the world was obviously very well thought-out. Not sure if I'll read the second when it comes out, but I'm definitely intrigued.