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Originally posted to I Should Read That
Mooncakes is a super sweet tale of friendship, loyalty, love, and magic. It’s not the most complex plot, but to me the plot wasn’t the mot important part of the book. The real story here is the reunion of Tam and Nova, how their relationship has rekindled since they came together again, and the power that friendship and romance can have.
Mooncakes also features some amazing representation within its pages. Both Tam and Nova are Chinese-American characters, Nova wears hearing aids (which are important to the story), and Tam is non-binary. What I most appreciated about this representation is that each aspect is integrated beautifully into the story – characters are super respectful of each other and the Chinese-American culture is part of the story and character backgrounds.
This is such a heartwarming graphic novel read that I think so many readers will enjoy. I’d highly recommend it, particularly I you’re looking for a light, sweet tale or a book with the above representation.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Mooncakes is a super sweet tale of friendship, loyalty, love, and magic. It’s not the most complex plot, but to me the plot wasn’t the mot important part of the book. The real story here is the reunion of Tam and Nova, how their relationship has rekindled since they came together again, and the power that friendship and romance can have.
Mooncakes also features some amazing representation within its pages. Both Tam and Nova are Chinese-American characters, Nova wears hearing aids (which are important to the story), and Tam is non-binary. What I most appreciated about this representation is that each aspect is integrated beautifully into the story – characters are super respectful of each other and the Chinese-American culture is part of the story and character backgrounds.
This is such a heartwarming graphic novel read that I think so many readers will enjoy. I’d highly recommend it, particularly I you’re looking for a light, sweet tale or a book with the above representation.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review.
Earlier this summer I read and loved Barker’s debut novel, Age of Assassins, so I was extremely excited to have the chance to read and review his latest book. Not only does The Bone Ships have a stunning cover (and you know I’m a sucker for a good cover), it takes place on huge ships made of sea dragon bones. Basically, this book is Justine catnip and dove into it with extremely high expectations.
I’m just going to start out this review by saying I absolutely loved this book. It was everything I could possibly want, and didn’t know I wanted, from a fantasy novel. Fun fact about me: I grew up near-ish to the ocean and used to sail regularly with my dad and my sister -- I could sail before I could drive. I’ve always had a strong connection to the sea and this book was such a delight to sink into. The atmosphere Barker creates was just so fantastic -- it sounds so cheesy to say but I could feel the wind on my face and the spray of the sea. This book pulled me into the happiest seafaring memories.
There was also something so perfect about The Bone Ships that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I pondered and pondered until I saw Hiu from The Fantasy Inn say that this book has ‘an undercurrent of optimism.A belief that people are mostly good,’ and that’s exactly it. The Bone Ships is a book set in a grim and brutal world, however it still feels uplifting and optimistic through character actions.
The world building in this book is just fantastic. One of my main worries going into The Bone Ships was that it would be a confusing and/or dense read, as many books set on ships are. You basically have to learn an entirely new vocabulary to figure out what’s going on (looking at you, Patrick O’Brian). However this wasn’t the case at all. The book is filled with nautical terms, but twisted to suit this world and in a way that’s easy for the reader to pick up on. A ship’s captain is a shipwife, the bow is the beak and the stern is the rump, the sails are wings, and so on. Something else I picked up on was the place of gender in this world -- ships are referred to with male pronouns rather than female ones, a shipwife is the captain’s title regardless of gender, and even the phrase ‘men and women’ is ‘women and men’. I found this incredibly effective not only for making sense of the world and the gender politics that are at play,
In terms of plot, The Bone Ships feels like the opposite of Age of Assassins -- where Age of Assassins has a strong and pacey plot and lighter world building, The Bone Ships is lighter on plot, more closely examines the world and the characters, and is definitely a book to be savoured. If you’re a reader who prefers a plot-driven book then this might not be the one for you. However, readers who love character-driven books will delight in the deep insight into characters and their story arcs. I think this may be a dividing point among readers and wanted to point it out.
Much of my love for this book also comes from Joron, our former shipwife of Tide Child who has his command taken by the famed Lucky Maes. Watching his story arc unfold was one of the most rewarding reading experiences I’ve had in ages. He is a deeply flawed character recovering from trauma -- he’s far from perfect, but that’s why I absolutely adored him. He’s a completely different person at the beginning of the book than he is at the end, which is always a favourite trope of mine. Much of the book’s optimistic undercurrent comes from Joron and his characterisation. I am also officially obsessed with Maes. She’s the seafaring badass leader of my dreams! I always love strong women, particularly older women, in fantasy. I’m always on the lookout for these characters in books and I feel I can really rely on Barker to deliver on this.
The Bone Ships is an astonishing start to a new fantasy trilogy, and I cannot tell you how much I loved this book -- it is undoubtedly one of my favourites of the year. Barker is an incredibly talented writer who fills his stories with so much heart and a great sense adventure. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy world filled with fantastic characters, I urge you to pick up The Bone Ships. I cannot wait to read the next one!
CW: Deformity, PTSD
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review.
Earlier this summer I read and loved Barker’s debut novel, Age of Assassins, so I was extremely excited to have the chance to read and review his latest book. Not only does The Bone Ships have a stunning cover (and you know I’m a sucker for a good cover), it takes place on huge ships made of sea dragon bones. Basically, this book is Justine catnip and dove into it with extremely high expectations.
I’m just going to start out this review by saying I absolutely loved this book. It was everything I could possibly want, and didn’t know I wanted, from a fantasy novel. Fun fact about me: I grew up near-ish to the ocean and used to sail regularly with my dad and my sister -- I could sail before I could drive. I’ve always had a strong connection to the sea and this book was such a delight to sink into. The atmosphere Barker creates was just so fantastic -- it sounds so cheesy to say but I could feel the wind on my face and the spray of the sea. This book pulled me into the happiest seafaring memories.
There was also something so perfect about The Bone Ships that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I pondered and pondered until I saw Hiu from The Fantasy Inn say that this book has ‘an undercurrent of optimism.A belief that people are mostly good,’ and that’s exactly it. The Bone Ships is a book set in a grim and brutal world, however it still feels uplifting and optimistic through character actions.
The world building in this book is just fantastic. One of my main worries going into The Bone Ships was that it would be a confusing and/or dense read, as many books set on ships are. You basically have to learn an entirely new vocabulary to figure out what’s going on (looking at you, Patrick O’Brian). However this wasn’t the case at all. The book is filled with nautical terms, but twisted to suit this world and in a way that’s easy for the reader to pick up on. A ship’s captain is a shipwife, the bow is the beak and the stern is the rump, the sails are wings, and so on. Something else I picked up on was the place of gender in this world -- ships are referred to with male pronouns rather than female ones, a shipwife is the captain’s title regardless of gender, and even the phrase ‘men and women’ is ‘women and men’. I found this incredibly effective not only for making sense of the world and the gender politics that are at play,
In terms of plot, The Bone Ships feels like the opposite of Age of Assassins -- where Age of Assassins has a strong and pacey plot and lighter world building, The Bone Ships is lighter on plot, more closely examines the world and the characters, and is definitely a book to be savoured. If you’re a reader who prefers a plot-driven book then this might not be the one for you. However, readers who love character-driven books will delight in the deep insight into characters and their story arcs. I think this may be a dividing point among readers and wanted to point it out.
Much of my love for this book also comes from Joron, our former shipwife of Tide Child who has his command taken by the famed Lucky Maes. Watching his story arc unfold was one of the most rewarding reading experiences I’ve had in ages. He is a deeply flawed character recovering from trauma -- he’s far from perfect, but that’s why I absolutely adored him. He’s a completely different person at the beginning of the book than he is at the end, which is always a favourite trope of mine. Much of the book’s optimistic undercurrent comes from Joron and his characterisation. I am also officially obsessed with Maes. She’s the seafaring badass leader of my dreams! I always love strong women, particularly older women, in fantasy. I’m always on the lookout for these characters in books and I feel I can really rely on Barker to deliver on this.
The Bone Ships is an astonishing start to a new fantasy trilogy, and I cannot tell you how much I loved this book -- it is undoubtedly one of my favourites of the year. Barker is an incredibly talented writer who fills his stories with so much heart and a great sense adventure. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy world filled with fantastic characters, I urge you to pick up The Bone Ships. I cannot wait to read the next one!
CW: Deformity, PTSD
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free for Jade War, but will have major spoilers for Jade City.
I have been very vocal about my love of Jade City since I read it earlier this summer. Fortunately for me, the sequel, Jade War, came out in July, so I could continue on with the story almost immediately! I very rarely read books in series so close to each other, but I absolutely could not resist jumping into Jade War as soon as I could. Jade War continues the story of Jade City with just as much tension and excitement of its predecessor.
I had high expectations going into Jade War and they were absolutely met. Sometimes a sequel can feel disjointed from the original story, however Lee does an amazing job of seamlessly transitioning between the first and second books. While Jade City focuses more on gang violence and the increasing tensions within the city, Jade War shifts to a more political narrative. The war is obviously not over, as per the title, but much of it is being fought in the press and in politicians’ chambers rather than in the streets — all while Lan’s tragic death haunts his family. With the stakes so incredibly high with no opportunity for release, the tension in this book is cranked way up, despite the conflict in this book being much more subtle than actual gang battles in the streets. Lee does a fantastic job of keeping up the pacing and tension while continuing to build and expand on the greater narrative. If you love books that study political maneuverings, backstabbing, and shifting political alliances, you’ll love Jade War.
Just a quick note, something I really loved about this book is the way it explores diaspora. A portion of the book is spent in in the Kekonese community in Espenia. This was probably my favourite setting in the book, as we get to see the diversity of the Kekonese culture in another country and how people hold onto and try to pass along traditions to their children.
I continue to be blown away by the amazing characters in this series. Hilo will forever remain my favourite — I loved seeing his softer side in this book (although he very much remains his usual stubborn self) — however Shae and Wen both gave him a run for his money. The ladies are definitely the stars of this book, something I was really hoping for after the more male-dominated Jade City. You get a glimpse of these two badass characters in the first book, however both of them fall into in more secondary roles. In Jade War they absolutely take center stage. Shae probably grew on me the most, as she is much more present in this book than the first (although my favourite scene in Jade City is the moment she quietly puts her jade back on after Lan’s death). Lee does an amazing job of teasing out her character and making her a force to be reckoned with — she also happens to feature in my favourite scene in Jade War. Wen is an equally badass character, but in a much quieter way. She’s a fierce mother and wife who puts her family first — she’s really the glue that holds the family together and I adore her for it. I always love reading more about Wen, and Jade War gave me exactly what I wanted from her character.
It is hard to live up to a book like Jade City, however Jade War does exactly that. If you’ve read and enjoyed the first book, get your hands on the sequel immediately — it’s one of the best sequels I’ve ever read. Equal parts satisfying and heartbreaking, Jade War is a totally addictive read and some of the best modern fantasy out there.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free for Jade War, but will have major spoilers for Jade City.
I have been very vocal about my love of Jade City since I read it earlier this summer. Fortunately for me, the sequel, Jade War, came out in July, so I could continue on with the story almost immediately! I very rarely read books in series so close to each other, but I absolutely could not resist jumping into Jade War as soon as I could. Jade War continues the story of Jade City with just as much tension and excitement of its predecessor.
I had high expectations going into Jade War and they were absolutely met. Sometimes a sequel can feel disjointed from the original story, however Lee does an amazing job of seamlessly transitioning between the first and second books. While Jade City focuses more on gang violence and the increasing tensions within the city, Jade War shifts to a more political narrative. The war is obviously not over, as per the title, but much of it is being fought in the press and in politicians’ chambers rather than in the streets — all while Lan’s tragic death haunts his family. With the stakes so incredibly high with no opportunity for release, the tension in this book is cranked way up, despite the conflict in this book being much more subtle than actual gang battles in the streets. Lee does a fantastic job of keeping up the pacing and tension while continuing to build and expand on the greater narrative. If you love books that study political maneuverings, backstabbing, and shifting political alliances, you’ll love Jade War.
Just a quick note, something I really loved about this book is the way it explores diaspora. A portion of the book is spent in in the Kekonese community in Espenia. This was probably my favourite setting in the book, as we get to see the diversity of the Kekonese culture in another country and how people hold onto and try to pass along traditions to their children.
I continue to be blown away by the amazing characters in this series. Hilo will forever remain my favourite — I loved seeing his softer side in this book (although he very much remains his usual stubborn self) — however Shae and Wen both gave him a run for his money. The ladies are definitely the stars of this book, something I was really hoping for after the more male-dominated Jade City. You get a glimpse of these two badass characters in the first book, however both of them fall into in more secondary roles. In Jade War they absolutely take center stage. Shae probably grew on me the most, as she is much more present in this book than the first (although my favourite scene in Jade City is the moment she quietly puts her jade back on after Lan’s death). Lee does an amazing job of teasing out her character and making her a force to be reckoned with — she also happens to feature in my favourite scene in Jade War. Wen is an equally badass character, but in a much quieter way. She’s a fierce mother and wife who puts her family first — she’s really the glue that holds the family together and I adore her for it. I always love reading more about Wen, and Jade War gave me exactly what I wanted from her character.
It is hard to live up to a book like Jade City, however Jade War does exactly that. If you’ve read and enjoyed the first book, get your hands on the sequel immediately — it’s one of the best sequels I’ve ever read. Equal parts satisfying and heartbreaking, Jade War is a totally addictive read and some of the best modern fantasy out there.
Originally posted to I Should Read That
This is a spoiler-free review.
I’ve been in a big slump when it comes to YA fantasy – it has been absolute ages since I read the genre consistently. Despite this, I was totally drawn to The House of Salt and Sorrows (possibly due to that fantastic cover, look at it!) I didn’t know a huge amount about it before picking it up in the shop and was absolutely delighted by this fantastic fairy tale retelling.
The House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling of my favourite fairy tale – the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Despite my love for this tale, I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept, as not a huge amount happens in that tale that could be turned into a full length novel. However, Craig expands on this book in such an inventive way, creating a spooky and atmospheric story of murder and madness. It is this atmosphere that I think makes this book worth reading -- it is so incredibly spooky and eerie. Annaleigh has horrifying visions and is haunted by her sisters after their gruesome deaths -- these scenes were so incredibly effective and added so much to the haunted atmosphere of the book.
I don’t think that the characters or the romance are particularly inventive in this book -- everyone is a pretty standard YA character. Annaleigh is interesting enough, she’s much more cautious than her sisters and is of an age where she feels truly caught between mourning her deceased sisters and wanting to live her life. She understands the implications of her family’s tragedies -- they struggle socially despite their power and the people they live among distrust and shun the family. However, I didn’t find anything particularly extraordinary or different about Annaleigh-- she’s not a hugely memorable character and didn't have that memorable spark. In addition, I didn’t find the romance or love interest particularly interesting either. They’re suit the story well and are used well within the plot, but I don’t think the characters are the most memorable thing about this book by a long shot.
Overall, I had an absolute blast reading The House of Salt and Sorrows. What it lacked in unique characters it more than made up for in terms of plot and atmosphere -- I really enjoyed Craig’s writing style and the horror elements in the book. The House of Salt and Sorrows is the perfect book for your October TBR!
CW: murder, suicide, some gore
This is a spoiler-free review.
I’ve been in a big slump when it comes to YA fantasy – it has been absolute ages since I read the genre consistently. Despite this, I was totally drawn to The House of Salt and Sorrows (possibly due to that fantastic cover, look at it!) I didn’t know a huge amount about it before picking it up in the shop and was absolutely delighted by this fantastic fairy tale retelling.
The House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling of my favourite fairy tale – the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Despite my love for this tale, I wasn’t entirely sold on the concept, as not a huge amount happens in that tale that could be turned into a full length novel. However, Craig expands on this book in such an inventive way, creating a spooky and atmospheric story of murder and madness. It is this atmosphere that I think makes this book worth reading -- it is so incredibly spooky and eerie. Annaleigh has horrifying visions and is haunted by her sisters after their gruesome deaths -- these scenes were so incredibly effective and added so much to the haunted atmosphere of the book.
I don’t think that the characters or the romance are particularly inventive in this book -- everyone is a pretty standard YA character. Annaleigh is interesting enough, she’s much more cautious than her sisters and is of an age where she feels truly caught between mourning her deceased sisters and wanting to live her life. She understands the implications of her family’s tragedies -- they struggle socially despite their power and the people they live among distrust and shun the family. However, I didn’t find anything particularly extraordinary or different about Annaleigh-- she’s not a hugely memorable character and didn't have that memorable spark. In addition, I didn’t find the romance or love interest particularly interesting either. They’re suit the story well and are used well within the plot, but I don’t think the characters are the most memorable thing about this book by a long shot.
Overall, I had an absolute blast reading The House of Salt and Sorrows. What it lacked in unique characters it more than made up for in terms of plot and atmosphere -- I really enjoyed Craig’s writing style and the horror elements in the book. The House of Salt and Sorrows is the perfect book for your October TBR!
CW: murder, suicide, some gore
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Although I’m a latecomer to Garth Nix’s fantasy books, having only just read Sabriel earlier this year, I was super excited to read his latest book. Angel Mage is his first adult fantasy book, and it’s a proper chunky tome too!
There is a lot to love about Angel Mage, and I suspect it will delight many of Nix's fans. The magic system, which feels heavily influenced by Catholicism, is interesting and the world is really fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the history of Ystara, its fall, and the impact that it had on the world.There is so much about this world and the magic that I’d love to have explored a little more, as deep dives into world building and magic systems are my favourite thing in fantasy. I wouldn’t say it was the most unique world building I’ve read, as it is easy to see his influences of The Three Musketeers and real-world religion. However, one of Nix’s strengths is making even the most mundane details, like running messages or training with weaponry, so incredibly fun. He paints such a lovely picture of the world, and I felt like I could walk the streets of Sarance with our characters.
Angel Mage is a book with a number of different POV characters -- there are five in total. We get to see the story from the point of view from our four friends: Simeon, Agnez, Dorotea, and Henri. However, my absolute favourite is the fact that a good portion of the book was dedicated to our villain’s point of view. I love an unrepentantly evil female villain and Liliath filled that role perfectly. My other favourite character was Dorotea, our slightly spacey but brilliant scholar and icon maker. I can sometimes struggle with multiple POV characters, so I would have preferred Angel Mage to only follow Liliath and Dorotea's points of view (or Liliath and another of the friends) because it would have helped dig deeper into these characters. I think the multiple POVs will be a dividing point for some readers.
Angel Mage is a book that doesn’t quite feel like an adult novel -- I think instead it will delight YA readers of all ages. Despite its length, it’s a fast-paced fantasy adventure that will get its hooks into you! Although it’s a standalone, I’d really love to read a sequel or another book set in this world.
3.5 out of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Although I’m a latecomer to Garth Nix’s fantasy books, having only just read Sabriel earlier this year, I was super excited to read his latest book. Angel Mage is his first adult fantasy book, and it’s a proper chunky tome too!
There is a lot to love about Angel Mage, and I suspect it will delight many of Nix's fans. The magic system, which feels heavily influenced by Catholicism, is interesting and the world is really fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the history of Ystara, its fall, and the impact that it had on the world.There is so much about this world and the magic that I’d love to have explored a little more, as deep dives into world building and magic systems are my favourite thing in fantasy. I wouldn’t say it was the most unique world building I’ve read, as it is easy to see his influences of The Three Musketeers and real-world religion. However, one of Nix’s strengths is making even the most mundane details, like running messages or training with weaponry, so incredibly fun. He paints such a lovely picture of the world, and I felt like I could walk the streets of Sarance with our characters.
Angel Mage is a book with a number of different POV characters -- there are five in total. We get to see the story from the point of view from our four friends: Simeon, Agnez, Dorotea, and Henri. However, my absolute favourite is the fact that a good portion of the book was dedicated to our villain’s point of view. I love an unrepentantly evil female villain and Liliath filled that role perfectly. My other favourite character was Dorotea, our slightly spacey but brilliant scholar and icon maker. I can sometimes struggle with multiple POV characters, so I would have preferred Angel Mage to only follow Liliath and Dorotea's points of view (or Liliath and another of the friends) because it would have helped dig deeper into these characters. I think the multiple POVs will be a dividing point for some readers.
Angel Mage is a book that doesn’t quite feel like an adult novel -- I think instead it will delight YA readers of all ages. Despite its length, it’s a fast-paced fantasy adventure that will get its hooks into you! Although it’s a standalone, I’d really love to read a sequel or another book set in this world.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Originally posted to I Should Read That
Nimona is a funny one for me because I should have absolutely loved this book. It sounds like my exact cup of tea, featuring a feisty anti-heroine, told from the villains’ perspectives, and with lots of sass and magical goodness. However, it didn’t quite work for me. I can’t tell if it’s because I wasn’t in the mood for a cutesy book or if it was just the age-old issue of me rarely getting on with graphic novels. I didn’t connect with the characters, didn’t get hugely invested into the story, and I wish there was just more. I don’t think this would have suited a standard novel format, so I’m thinking that this one is just a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’.
I will, however, say that this is a book I’d like to try again when I’m more in the mood for this kind of story – I really think that it could be something I like if I read it at a different time.
2.5 pout of 5 stars
Nimona is a funny one for me because I should have absolutely loved this book. It sounds like my exact cup of tea, featuring a feisty anti-heroine, told from the villains’ perspectives, and with lots of sass and magical goodness. However, it didn’t quite work for me. I can’t tell if it’s because I wasn’t in the mood for a cutesy book or if it was just the age-old issue of me rarely getting on with graphic novels. I didn’t connect with the characters, didn’t get hugely invested into the story, and I wish there was just more. I don’t think this would have suited a standard novel format, so I’m thinking that this one is just a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’.
I will, however, say that this is a book I’d like to try again when I’m more in the mood for this kind of story – I really think that it could be something I like if I read it at a different time.
2.5 pout of 5 stars
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I had taken a long, unintentional break from grimdark, one of my favourite genres, but started to slowly return to it in the second half of 2019. Enter Priest of Bones, a book that I had heard a lot about but hadn’t actually read. I bought it awhile back because the author is lovely on Twitter -- one of the main reasons I buy books, honestly -- and it had been sitting on my shelf for ages. Now that I've read it, I'm officially adding it to list of ‘why didn’t I read this sooner?’ books -- I absolutely loved it!
One of the things I loved about this book is the urban setting -- all of the grimdark I’ve read previously has taken place in a much more classic fantasy setting. Tomas Piety is a ‘businessman’, meaning a gangster, and the urban setting of Ellinburg suits him and his story perfectly. This is one of those books that really captures its setting so well in that the various districts and territories of the city felt incredibly distinct and alive -- I felt like I could walk through Ellinburg and know exactly where I’m going. As a reader who loves worldbuilding, this is something that’s hugely impressive to me because it adds a powerful layer of realism and depth to the story.
Something I really appreciated about Priest of Lies is the way it handled difficult topics. From rape and sexual abuse to PSTD and the traumas of war, McLean does a fantastic job of not shying away from difficult topics, but treats them with the respect that they deserve. Right off the bat, you find out that Piety does not tolerate rape among his crew. For me, as a lover of grimdark who struggles reading about sexual assault and abuse, I really appreciated the fact that McLean sets this out so early and firmly. There are some truly awful things in this book (see content warnings at the end), however they never felt gratuitous or like they could be cut from the story. There was a whole lot of stuff that would usually make me want to chuck a book across the room, however the way he deals with this content really makes him stand out as a fantastic and humane grimdark author.
I have to admit, I absolutely love Tomas Piety. Sure, he’s a gangster and crime kingpin in the city that has a whole lot of blood on his hands, but dammit I can’t help but really adore him as a character. I always love an anti-hero and Piety fits the bill perfectly. I found his ruthless nature when it comes to his businesses incredibly well balanced with his care and compassion for his men and the citizens who rely on him. I absolutely loved his platonic relationship with Bloody Anne, his second in command, who is an another amazing character in her own right. McLean does an incredible job of creating well balanced characters with so much depth. It's refreshing to see this in grimdark because, in my opinion, grimdark sometimes struggles with this.
Priest of Bones is absolutely not the right book to pick up if you’re either 1) new to grimdark as a genre or 2) just do not like grimdark books. However, if you are a fan of grimdark books and haven’t read Priest of Bones yet, what are you waiting for? It is easily one of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year!
CW: brief on-page rape that is stopped, child sexual abuse, child sexual abuse as backstory, FGM as backstory, gore and creative injuries, homophobia, PTSD
I had taken a long, unintentional break from grimdark, one of my favourite genres, but started to slowly return to it in the second half of 2019. Enter Priest of Bones, a book that I had heard a lot about but hadn’t actually read. I bought it awhile back because the author is lovely on Twitter -- one of the main reasons I buy books, honestly -- and it had been sitting on my shelf for ages. Now that I've read it, I'm officially adding it to list of ‘why didn’t I read this sooner?’ books -- I absolutely loved it!
One of the things I loved about this book is the urban setting -- all of the grimdark I’ve read previously has taken place in a much more classic fantasy setting. Tomas Piety is a ‘businessman’, meaning a gangster, and the urban setting of Ellinburg suits him and his story perfectly. This is one of those books that really captures its setting so well in that the various districts and territories of the city felt incredibly distinct and alive -- I felt like I could walk through Ellinburg and know exactly where I’m going. As a reader who loves worldbuilding, this is something that’s hugely impressive to me because it adds a powerful layer of realism and depth to the story.
Something I really appreciated about Priest of Lies is the way it handled difficult topics. From rape and sexual abuse to PSTD and the traumas of war, McLean does a fantastic job of not shying away from difficult topics, but treats them with the respect that they deserve. Right off the bat, you find out that Piety does not tolerate rape among his crew. For me, as a lover of grimdark who struggles reading about sexual assault and abuse, I really appreciated the fact that McLean sets this out so early and firmly. There are some truly awful things in this book (see content warnings at the end), however they never felt gratuitous or like they could be cut from the story. There was a whole lot of stuff that would usually make me want to chuck a book across the room, however the way he deals with this content really makes him stand out as a fantastic and humane grimdark author.
I have to admit, I absolutely love Tomas Piety. Sure, he’s a gangster and crime kingpin in the city that has a whole lot of blood on his hands, but dammit I can’t help but really adore him as a character. I always love an anti-hero and Piety fits the bill perfectly. I found his ruthless nature when it comes to his businesses incredibly well balanced with his care and compassion for his men and the citizens who rely on him. I absolutely loved his platonic relationship with Bloody Anne, his second in command, who is an another amazing character in her own right. McLean does an incredible job of creating well balanced characters with so much depth. It's refreshing to see this in grimdark because, in my opinion, grimdark sometimes struggles with this.
Priest of Bones is absolutely not the right book to pick up if you’re either 1) new to grimdark as a genre or 2) just do not like grimdark books. However, if you are a fan of grimdark books and haven’t read Priest of Bones yet, what are you waiting for? It is easily one of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year!
CW: brief on-page rape that is stopped, child sexual abuse, child sexual abuse as backstory, FGM as backstory, gore and creative injuries, homophobia, PTSD
Originally posted to I Should Read That
This is a spoiler-free review for Darkdawn, but will contain spoilers for Nevernight and Godsgrave.
The Nevernight Chronicles has been one of my favourite series since I discovered it about this time last year. I loved Nevernight, absolutely adored Godsgrave, and therefore had sky-high expectations for the concluding book, Darkdawn. Unfortunately after two amazing books, the final installment in this series was a serious disappointment. I am going to keep this review on the shorter side, as I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet!
So here’s the thing: there were parts of Darkdawn that I loved. I absolutely adored certain new characters, I shrieked with delight when we found out the identity of the mysterious narrator, and I enjoyed everything that had to do with Mia’s revenge story. There were, however, a number of places where Kristoff lost me. A lot of this comes down to personal preference, so take all of this all with a grain of salt.
As always, the world of the Nevernight Chronicles is fantastic. I really loved revisiting old locations and settings, as well as discovering new ones. I always love anything that has to do with the darkin, and we continue to learn more about the lore of this world. We also dive deeper into the more, as I call it, fantasy-y side of the story. We are introduced to this in Godsgrave, however it completely dominates the story in Darkdawn. I really didn’t enjoy this particular aspect of the story, which meant that I didn't enjoy the majority of the plot. I found it so far off from the story I fell in love with -- Mia's tale of revenge and murder.
I think my biggest issue with the book is Mia and her story arc. For me, she’s always toed the line between being completely and totally awesome and a total caricature. In Nevernight and Godsgrave, she was such an incredible character and in Darkdawn, she just seemed ridiculous and like a parody of herself. I didn’t feel like she was acting like the character I've come to know over the course of the series and some of the decisions she made just didn’t make any sense. The Mia Corvere I know and love wasn’t present in Darkdawn.
The rest of my thoughts on this book are super spoilery, so I’m going to leave this review here. To me, the pacing in Darkdawn was off, the characters were off, and the plot was off. To me, Darkdawn felt more like poorly written fanfiction* than the concluding book in one of my favourite series. While there were some bits I really loved, I mostly found Darkdawn underwhelming and disappointing.
*I hope it’s obvious that this is not a knock on fanfiction, but I’m including this note here anyway. After all, we Nevernight fans do love a footnote.
This is a spoiler-free review for Darkdawn, but will contain spoilers for Nevernight and Godsgrave.
The Nevernight Chronicles has been one of my favourite series since I discovered it about this time last year. I loved Nevernight, absolutely adored Godsgrave, and therefore had sky-high expectations for the concluding book, Darkdawn. Unfortunately after two amazing books, the final installment in this series was a serious disappointment. I am going to keep this review on the shorter side, as I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read it yet!
So here’s the thing: there were parts of Darkdawn that I loved. I absolutely adored certain new characters, I shrieked with delight when we found out the identity of the mysterious narrator, and I enjoyed everything that had to do with Mia’s revenge story. There were, however, a number of places where Kristoff lost me. A lot of this comes down to personal preference, so take all of this all with a grain of salt.
As always, the world of the Nevernight Chronicles is fantastic. I really loved revisiting old locations and settings, as well as discovering new ones. I always love anything that has to do with the darkin, and we continue to learn more about the lore of this world. We also dive deeper into the more, as I call it, fantasy-y side of the story. We are introduced to this in Godsgrave, however it completely dominates the story in Darkdawn. I really didn’t enjoy this particular aspect of the story, which meant that I didn't enjoy the majority of the plot. I found it so far off from the story I fell in love with -- Mia's tale of revenge and murder.
I think my biggest issue with the book is Mia and her story arc. For me, she’s always toed the line between being completely and totally awesome and a total caricature. In Nevernight and Godsgrave, she was such an incredible character and in Darkdawn, she just seemed ridiculous and like a parody of herself. I didn’t feel like she was acting like the character I've come to know over the course of the series and some of the decisions she made just didn’t make any sense. The Mia Corvere I know and love wasn’t present in Darkdawn.
The rest of my thoughts on this book are super spoilery, so I’m going to leave this review here. To me, the pacing in Darkdawn was off, the characters were off, and the plot was off. To me, Darkdawn felt more like poorly written fanfiction* than the concluding book in one of my favourite series. While there were some bits I really loved, I mostly found Darkdawn underwhelming and disappointing.
*I hope it’s obvious that this is not a knock on fanfiction, but I’m including this note here anyway. After all, we Nevernight fans do love a footnote.
Originally posted to I Should Read That
It has been hard to escape the hype for Truly Devious, a book that has taken the YA book world by storm, and I was totally taken in by it. I try to not let hype dictate my reading choices -- I so often end up disappointed -- but I was just so curious about this book. I had never read YA crime before, knew that it was the first in a trilogy, and knew that the author is a true crime fan -- that was all. I had one false start with this book because I couldn't get past the main character, however I ended up giving it a try on audiobook and absolutely devoured it.
This book is a funny one for a number of reasons. It breaks what I think of as the tradition of crime books by not resolving the crime by the end. The main character doesn’t stand out much -- she fades into the background because the secondary characters are much more interesting. The romance is really lackluster. The book investigates two crimes -- one historical and one current -- at the same time, and one is much more interesting than the other. However, I still found it so incredibly compelling once I had the narrator’s voice in my ears.
The setting of Ellingham Academy is really interesting, and I loved the history of the school and the tragedy that took place there. I loved Stevie’s investigations into the school’s past and the clues Johnson drops into the story. But I just didn’t have the same attachment to the modern storyline as I did the historic one for some reason. I think the thing that grabbed me most was this mysterious crime that has remained unsolved for decades -- this is exactly when draws people into the world of true crime and Johnson did a great job of recreating that sense of morbid curiosity.
While there are fun characters in this book -- Janelle has stolen my heart and I want to be her friend in real life -- I do think that Stevie is one of the weaker parts of the book. In theory, I should love her. I’m about 90% sure she’s autistic, she’s super passionate about criminal justice and solving the Ellingham case, and she’s snarky and sarcastic. However, there was something about her that just didn’t leap of the page to me. She felt almost like a bystander in her own story, if you know what I mean. I hope she gets a little more developed further down the line, but this issue honestly could just be down to personal taste.
Overall, Truly Devious is a fun and addicting mystery. I listened to the audiobook in record time and let me tell you, my flat has never been so clean. I usually don’t read sequels until I’ve reviewed the first book, but I broke my rule in this instance and have already devoured The Vanishing Stair. Now that I’ve read them both, I can confidently say that some of the issues I had in this first book and well on their way to being resolved later in the series. I am super curious to see how this series ends in 2020.
3.5 out of 5 stars
It has been hard to escape the hype for Truly Devious, a book that has taken the YA book world by storm, and I was totally taken in by it. I try to not let hype dictate my reading choices -- I so often end up disappointed -- but I was just so curious about this book. I had never read YA crime before, knew that it was the first in a trilogy, and knew that the author is a true crime fan -- that was all. I had one false start with this book because I couldn't get past the main character, however I ended up giving it a try on audiobook and absolutely devoured it.
This book is a funny one for a number of reasons. It breaks what I think of as the tradition of crime books by not resolving the crime by the end. The main character doesn’t stand out much -- she fades into the background because the secondary characters are much more interesting. The romance is really lackluster. The book investigates two crimes -- one historical and one current -- at the same time, and one is much more interesting than the other. However, I still found it so incredibly compelling once I had the narrator’s voice in my ears.
The setting of Ellingham Academy is really interesting, and I loved the history of the school and the tragedy that took place there. I loved Stevie’s investigations into the school’s past and the clues Johnson drops into the story. But I just didn’t have the same attachment to the modern storyline as I did the historic one for some reason. I think the thing that grabbed me most was this mysterious crime that has remained unsolved for decades -- this is exactly when draws people into the world of true crime and Johnson did a great job of recreating that sense of morbid curiosity.
While there are fun characters in this book -- Janelle has stolen my heart and I want to be her friend in real life -- I do think that Stevie is one of the weaker parts of the book. In theory, I should love her. I’m about 90% sure she’s autistic, she’s super passionate about criminal justice and solving the Ellingham case, and she’s snarky and sarcastic. However, there was something about her that just didn’t leap of the page to me. She felt almost like a bystander in her own story, if you know what I mean. I hope she gets a little more developed further down the line, but this issue honestly could just be down to personal taste.
Overall, Truly Devious is a fun and addicting mystery. I listened to the audiobook in record time and let me tell you, my flat has never been so clean. I usually don’t read sequels until I’ve reviewed the first book, but I broke my rule in this instance and have already devoured The Vanishing Stair. Now that I’ve read them both, I can confidently say that some of the issues I had in this first book and well on their way to being resolved later in the series. I am super curious to see how this series ends in 2020.
3.5 out of 5 stars