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ishouldreadthat
A really fantastic first person demonic possession story! It starts with small tapping sounds in the narrator's apartment and spirals into a horrifying study of a woman trapped in her own body. I really enjoyed this one and thought it was the perfect length for such a story.
I think this one will be worth a reread one day!
I think this one will be worth a reread one day!
What's that? Oh, just the sound of my heart breaking.
Empire of Gold is the gorgeous conclusion to one of the best fantasy series out there. It gave a satisfying ending to the story, all while breaking your heart and making you laugh.
If you haven't read this series yet, I urge you to pick it up!
Empire of Gold is the gorgeous conclusion to one of the best fantasy series out there. It gave a satisfying ending to the story, all while breaking your heart and making you laugh.
If you haven't read this series yet, I urge you to pick it up!
A fantastic collection of short essays from authors of colour across Britain. Highly recommended if you're looking for short, accessible nonfiction about race and growing up in the UK, and ranging from humorous to heartfelt.
An absolutely fantastic historical horror novel! I totally fell in love with Clark’s Cairo series and was thrilled to discover he had a new novella coming out this year. Ring Shout is a historical set horror novel about Black Americans hunting down monsters that spur on the hatred of White supremacists in the South.
Sound fun? It is, but it’s also more than that. A deep look into America’s historical racism and treatment of Black people, Ring Shout gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of historical and personal traumas, as well as a providing number of jumping off points for further research into the actual history behind the story.
I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The three main characters are absolutely stunning — three monster hunting, weapon wielding women who face both supernatural and human enemies every day. I especially adored the foul mouthed Sadie, who was a wonderful addition to the story. These three women have such different backgrounds, but are tied together by their shared traumatic pasts.
The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was — being vague as possible to avoid spoilers — the revelation of the Big Bad. Like with most horror stories, I find that the actual reality of the villain is much less frightening than their actions while cloaked in darkness. While there was a lot that I enjoyed about the ending, that was one thing that stuck with me as not quite clicking. It certainly wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story though.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Sound fun? It is, but it’s also more than that. A deep look into America’s historical racism and treatment of Black people, Ring Shout gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of historical and personal traumas, as well as a providing number of jumping off points for further research into the actual history behind the story.
I absolutely loved the characters in this book. The three main characters are absolutely stunning — three monster hunting, weapon wielding women who face both supernatural and human enemies every day. I especially adored the foul mouthed Sadie, who was a wonderful addition to the story. These three women have such different backgrounds, but are tied together by their shared traumatic pasts.
The only thing that didn’t quite work for me was — being vague as possible to avoid spoilers — the revelation of the Big Bad. Like with most horror stories, I find that the actual reality of the villain is much less frightening than their actions while cloaked in darkness. While there was a lot that I enjoyed about the ending, that was one thing that stuck with me as not quite clicking. It certainly wasn’t enough to detract from my enjoyment of the story though.
4.5 out of 5 stars
A YA dystopian novel with Lauren James' signature twists and turns.
I never thought I'd read a quiet and peaceful dystopian novel, however The Quiet at the End of the World really took me by surprise! I basically picked this up because I adored her previous book, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe so much, and I'm so pleased I did. Filled with charming characters, cleverly incorporated dual timelines, a well-paced storyline, and a slow burning friends-to-lovers romance, this is a delightful YA sci-fi novel that actually manages to be strangely uplifiting and hopeful, all while delivering the expected peril and tension you'd want from a dystopian novel!
The audiobook is a great, shorter read that is available on Scribd -- highly recommended!
I never thought I'd read a quiet and peaceful dystopian novel, however The Quiet at the End of the World really took me by surprise! I basically picked this up because I adored her previous book, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe so much, and I'm so pleased I did. Filled with charming characters, cleverly incorporated dual timelines, a well-paced storyline, and a slow burning friends-to-lovers romance, this is a delightful YA sci-fi novel that actually manages to be strangely uplifiting and hopeful, all while delivering the expected peril and tension you'd want from a dystopian novel!
The audiobook is a great, shorter read that is available on Scribd -- highly recommended!
I'll discuss this book more in depth in an upcoming video review! Subscribe here!
Having read Lee's Ninefox Gambit, I knew that I should expect a few things from Phoenix Extravagant: an incredibly immersive and original world, great characters, and a compelling read. While I enjoyed Ninefox Gambit, his latest novel absolutely blows it out of the water for me.
Lee manages to strike a fantastic balance between darker themes and lightness and humor that makes this book a fast-paced and incredibly fun read. While witty banter, unexpectedly sweet characters, and plenty of fun makes Phoenix Extravagant an incredibly compelling and quick read, he does not shy away from the horrors of colonialism. Exploring identity, cultural erasure, and the damages of colonialism. It's a hard-hitting narrative that is easily absorbed by the reader.
WIth amazing characters that twist your expectations as a fantasy reader, to wonderful worldbuilding and an impactful story, Phoenix Extravagant is one of my favourite books of the year so far. It feels so wonderfully fresh in a genre that can sometimes be a little stale (despite it being my favourite).
4.5 out of 5 stars
Having read Lee's Ninefox Gambit, I knew that I should expect a few things from Phoenix Extravagant: an incredibly immersive and original world, great characters, and a compelling read. While I enjoyed Ninefox Gambit, his latest novel absolutely blows it out of the water for me.
Lee manages to strike a fantastic balance between darker themes and lightness and humor that makes this book a fast-paced and incredibly fun read. While witty banter, unexpectedly sweet characters, and plenty of fun makes Phoenix Extravagant an incredibly compelling and quick read, he does not shy away from the horrors of colonialism. Exploring identity, cultural erasure, and the damages of colonialism. It's a hard-hitting narrative that is easily absorbed by the reader.
WIth amazing characters that twist your expectations as a fantasy reader, to wonderful worldbuilding and an impactful story, Phoenix Extravagant is one of my favourite books of the year so far. It feels so wonderfully fresh in a genre that can sometimes be a little stale (despite it being my favourite).
4.5 out of 5 stars
I'll be reviewing this book more in depth in an upcoming video -- subscribe here so you don't miss out!
I'll be honest, "gender-swapped Alexander the Great retelling set in space" was all I needed to know about Unconquerable Sun -- it immediately got added to the "most anticipated books of the year" list. Having only read, but absolutely adored, one book by Kate Elliott before, I knew she'd be able to pull of a book with such an epic scope.
Unconquerable Sun is an ambitious start to an epic new sci-fi series. Filled with action, adventure, political intrigue, pop culture, and shifting allegiances, this book is an absolute thrill to read and was incredibly difficult to put down. Elliott doesn't hold your hand with the sprawling world building, so it takes a few pages to really dig into the story, however I was totally hooked.
There are numerous POVs in this book, however our main two are Princess Sun -- our Alexander the Great character -- and Persephone Lee -- the reluctant daughter of one of the core houses who is desperate to escape her family's conniving. Splitting up the points of view was the smartest thing Elliott did for this book -- I surprisingly found Sun the most difficult to relate to and sympathise with because she's all sharp edges with little softness (even her vulnerabilities have spikes). Persephone's point of view adds a wonderful and extremely sympathetic layer to the story -- she's easily one of my absolute new favourite characters ever. When paired with the POVs of enemy soldiers and allies alike, the shifting perspectives in this book are so well done and add such wonderful dimension to what could have been a flat story.
Unconquerable Sun wasn't a technically perfect book, it is easily one of best reading experiences I've had this year. A truly unputdownable tale, you'll be just as desperate as me to see what happens next!
I'll be honest, "gender-swapped Alexander the Great retelling set in space" was all I needed to know about Unconquerable Sun -- it immediately got added to the "most anticipated books of the year" list. Having only read, but absolutely adored, one book by Kate Elliott before, I knew she'd be able to pull of a book with such an epic scope.
Unconquerable Sun is an ambitious start to an epic new sci-fi series. Filled with action, adventure, political intrigue, pop culture, and shifting allegiances, this book is an absolute thrill to read and was incredibly difficult to put down. Elliott doesn't hold your hand with the sprawling world building, so it takes a few pages to really dig into the story, however I was totally hooked.
There are numerous POVs in this book, however our main two are Princess Sun -- our Alexander the Great character -- and Persephone Lee -- the reluctant daughter of one of the core houses who is desperate to escape her family's conniving. Splitting up the points of view was the smartest thing Elliott did for this book -- I surprisingly found Sun the most difficult to relate to and sympathise with because she's all sharp edges with little softness (even her vulnerabilities have spikes). Persephone's point of view adds a wonderful and extremely sympathetic layer to the story -- she's easily one of my absolute new favourite characters ever. When paired with the POVs of enemy soldiers and allies alike, the shifting perspectives in this book are so well done and add such wonderful dimension to what could have been a flat story.
Unconquerable Sun wasn't a technically perfect book, it is easily one of best reading experiences I've had this year. A truly unputdownable tale, you'll be just as desperate as me to see what happens next!
A truly fantastic short story from N. K. Jemisin that makes me desperately want to read some full-length science fiction from her!
I can't say too much about it without spoiling anything -- it is, after all, only about 30 pages long -- but I can tell you that it's a fantastic take on climate change, identity, and revolution. Highly recommended for some quick reading!
4.5 out of 5 stars
I can't say too much about it without spoiling anything -- it is, after all, only about 30 pages long -- but I can tell you that it's a fantastic take on climate change, identity, and revolution. Highly recommended for some quick reading!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Read for the 2020 Hugos.
This is my favourite of the nominated short stories! A clever and impactful short story about the consequences of war. Packs a serious punch for such a small word count, and I think this one will stick with me for a long time.
This is my favourite of the nominated short stories! A clever and impactful short story about the consequences of war. Packs a serious punch for such a small word count, and I think this one will stick with me for a long time.