This is a situation of having checked this book in one too many times to pass it up again. Flipping through, the colors and illustrations looked so fun, and as you know I’m into mythology of all kinds. And I’m apparently on a Hades and Persephone streak (having just read A Touch of Darkness), so I brought it home. Worth it though, as once I sat down with it, I made it through the whole thing in like, less than an hour. 

 

So, obviously, this is a graphic novel Hades and Persephone retelling. It’s originally a Webtoon comic, from Smythe, that has since been turned into a series of fully physically published collections. This first installation takes us through Hades and Persephone meeting at a party, their first night “together” and the feels they’re starting to have about each other. Plus, we get some back story on each, explaining some of their vibes and traits – some of Hades’ soft spots and flashbacks, some of Persephone’s sheltered past and intro to the world of Olympus. And we get introduced to a few other gods and goddesses, like the brothers (Zeus and Poseidon), Artemis and her brother Apollo, Hermes, Hera and Aphrodite and her son Eros, along with a few side plots/stories more focused on them. 

 

The illustrations were just as colorful and fun as they looked when I first flipped through – I loved the entire visual facet of the story. I did struggle a few times following the jump between stories and locations and interactions, but that could also come down to me, as this is a Webtoon series I am consuming all in one sitting. This is a great contemporary take, with cell phones and strip clubs and other current day aspects. Plus, I did really like the sibling relationship amongst Hades, Zeus and Poseidon – the three of them interacting is not something I usually see and that’s really fun (if unhealthy, in ways lining up with how all the gods’ relationships are). As with all mythological stories, there are really toxic relationships all over, quite a bit of sexual harassment and assault (either on-page or in reference,) and Smythe recognizes and includes those pieces here. But there is also a sweetness to the budding connection between Hades and Persephone that holds promise. And a lot of the side/additional stories, as I mentioned earlier, hold promise of developing alongside the primary one, adding interest and dimension. 

 

Other than that, while I definitely enjoyed this read and am looking forward to the next compilations (my library has volumes 2 and 3 as well, and I am already on the holds list for them) I am into, but not yet in love with, this retelling.  I am, clearly, invested enough to see where it goes from here, and hoping that my lukewarm-ness is more to do with the fact that the ending leaves me hanging (I mean, I know what happens, but still, what are they talking about on their phone call and when do they see each other again and can someone just knock Apollo out already?!) than anything else. As a retelling of a story I’ve consumed lots of times (which is a high bar expectation that is absolutely on me), this so far is a solid, but not groundbreaking, version. A very entertaining first graphic novel interpretation though, and like I said, looking forward to continuing the story.  

 

I read Carty-Williams' debut novel, Queenie, a few years ago when it came out, and I really enjoyed the messy, genuine titular character. So this sophomore novel was on my Tbr longlist as soon as I heard about it. I was actually able to grab an ARC copy from my library's "up for grabs for staff" pile sometime last year and I've finally gotten to it. 

 

Dimple is an adult, living with her mother, and trying to make a career as an influencer happen. She has five half-siblings that she mostly doesn't know at all. She met them once as a child and hasn't seen or spoken to them since. But, when a dramatic and terrifying interaction when her (ex) boyfriend leaves her in a tough spot, she calls her oldest half-sister, Nikisha, for help. Nikisha, in turn, calls the rest of the half-siblings (Danny, a plumber and single father, Lizzie, a medical student, and Prynce, Nikisha's full-brother who is still trying to figure things out) and together they converge on Dimple's flat in the middle of the night to help her sort things out. Because maybe they only have an absent father and abandonment issues in common, but at the end of their day, they share blood - and that's a thicker bond than anything else. 

 

I was really not expecting the dark humor in the set-up of this novel to be so strong, but honestly, I found myself fully amused the entire time I was reading this. Carty-Williams manages to take a number of truly terrible themes, like murder, blackmail, mistreatment by the police, and a number of dysfunctional/dangerous family and relationship situations, and really make them...humorous. I feel like I've never actually read something that, literarily, so fully embodies both "dark" and "humor" as well as it was done here. Obviously, this is in large part down to Carty-Williams writing. But also, the plot set-up of five half siblings that have objective connections (blood), but no real subjective connections (inter-relational), yet are thrown into this high-drama situation together, absolutely lends itself to the humorous aspects of the story, with vibes of absurdity in the hilarity. 

 

Also, once again, the author tackles the "messy new adult life" characters. Each one of the siblings was a bit of a mess, in their own way, and they are so genuine because of it. This was a fascinating comparison of how different people handle the same life circumstances, even when genetics are in common, because of the surroundings they've experienced. it really kept my attention both in interest and in entertainment. Plus, if you love sibling relationships, and I've mentioned before that I really have a soft spot for well-written sibling relationships, this book brings it hard with the “I’ll do anything for you but annoy the piss out of you while doing it” style interactions. And I could not get enough of that. 

 

The ending was a bit transparent, as far as it paralleled back to the opening chapter, but it is also a satisfying literary circle-back as a finale. I don't really have too much else to say - this is a fairly succinct review for me - but don't take that to mean I didn't enjoy this. I was really into these characters, they were gorgeously human (flawed but full, and loveable in that), which seems to be a particular talent of Carty-Williams. And the story held some real depth and room for reflection and growth, while remaining a primarily fun and entertaining reading experience. This is definitely one I'll be recommending! 

 

“But what if you felt like you didn't have a choice? [...] What if you did what you had to do because you were scared?” 

 

 

This is a backlist book that I have had on my TBR longer than almost any other. And every once in a while I'd remember it and be like "I should get the from the library!" and then get distracted by a shiny new release... But I found a copy of this at a local bookstore in the used section just a few months ago and decided that maybe if it was on my home shelf, maybe that would help me pick it up. It didn't hurt that I also recently realized this same author writes the Ms. Marvel comics, which, while I don't actually read those, made her seem super extra cool. And honestly that's what pushed me over the edge to finally pick this one up. 

 

In an unnamed country in the Arab world, a young hacker (screen name, Alif) works to shield his clients online from the invasive surveillance of the government. He offers his talents to anyone, no matter their beliefs/political allegiance, with the goal of general undermining of the state. In a conjunction of terrible circumstances for Alif, his secret relationship with a highborn woman ends with him heartbroken and his computer was breached by the state security system and all his clients are at risk of discovery. When his ex sends him a copy of an ancient tome, a secret book of the jinn, Alif ends up on the run...and pulls a ragtag group with him, including his neighbor, Dina, an elderly imam, a rogue jinn, and more. 

 

First, I need to talk about how awesome the combination of magic and technology and religion/faith was in this book. They are such disparate themes, ones that are often not combined in any way (as I would assume the audience for each has some, but not myriad, overlaps), much less in this unique and contemporary way. But Wilson brings it together phenomenally here, in a way that really does have a little split-out something for each of the original audiences, and a really wonderful "new" something for all of them combined. I have read some of each (for example, The Golden Compass has the magic-religion crossover and Charlie Jane Anders has some interesting takes on the magic-tech crossover), but this juxtaposition of them all together was just...so cool and new. And the fact that it's all set in a recognizable contemporary world, the recent events of the Arab Spring and some philosophical musings about video gaming-religious beliefs, was an extra layer of context that made it all the more applicable for the present-day reader.  

 

I'm not really sure how best to describe the way Wilson brings together mythology and magic within the space of Islamic faith in a way that feels both like a "traditional" adventure fantasy and a legit contemporary reality of life as a Muslim and/or in the Arab world, but it's great. And I am not always a fan of magic in the real world when some people can see/know it and some cannot. Like, I enjoy magical realism when it's universal, but when it's an "only certain people know it's going on" situation, that's not my favorite trope. But Wilson pulls it off here in a way that I was really into. I love the way that Islam and the Quran are being mined in an academic/lingual way that, juxtaposed with the magic and tech, allow for such breadth of interpretation and application. If more people actually studied their own religious texts (whatever religion they are) in this manner, I think we’d discover they're all deeply more inclusive than the current [exclusive] ways it’s being manipulated and used. I mean, I’m not faithful or a believer at all, but I loved reading and was really touched by, some of the religious tales and explorations in this novel. Sort of related, there is some real social commentary infused throughout this story, especially from the convert and Vikram and (later) a social elite character (no spoilers!), but in a way that is somehow light and [almost] satricially humorous. It's fascinating and impressive writing. 

 

Another thing that was great about this novel was the role that stories played. That's a reasonably common fantasy and literary trope, but it's one that I do have a major soft spot for. The meditations on stories and their meanings, as well as the depth of what they can convey or the truth of what they say being limited by the original intent/audience/language, are so fulfilling to read, as a story lover. I have a few other random points to make, that I'll just throw in at the end here. The culmination moment of the fantasy/jinn battle and the IRL Arab Spring was really well brought together; a confluence of behind a screen (sort of magical if you don’t get it) force and its real life consequences, and the power possible there. This included some astute commentary on the anonymity of being behind a screen, and how that means you cannot predict a person's power or alignment by their public standing or stature or finances.This finale of the novel also had an authentic mix of the inspiring and crushing truth that comes with revolution, the responsibility changing hands leaves such a vacuum that, while the fight for freedom is always worth it, does make one question humanity and the choices we make with said freedom. 

 

I was so into this novel, the plot and characters and all the themes and vibes, from the very beginning all the way through to the end. I totally wish that I had gotten to it sooner, but better late than never, and you know I'm gonna be recommending this backlist read all over the place now!  

 

“The act of concealment had become more powerful that what it concealed.” 

 

“Better chaos than slow suffocation.” 

 

“If you’re so afraid, don’t tell me to be rational. Fear isn’t rational.” 

 

“So the stories aren’t just stories, is what you’re saying. They’re really secret knowledge disguised as stories. / One could say that of all stories, younger brother.” 

 

“Dear child, some stories have no morals. Sometimes darkness and sadness are simply that. / How terrible. / Do you think so? I find it reassuring. It saves me from having to divine meaning in every sorrow that comes my way.” 

 

“All translations are made up. […] Languages are different for a reason. You can’t move ideas between them without losing something.” 

 

“…he realized that the ritualized world he had dismissed as feminine was in fact civilization.” 

 

“Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational, but not the transcendent.” 

 

“Like so many things, it becomes corrupt in the hands of man. But if we were to destroy all the things that man has made corrupt, the earth would be barren in a day.” (Oooof, bringing hard truths.) 

 

“If man’s capacity for the fantastic took up as much of his imagination as his capacity for cruelty, the worlds, seen and unseen, might be very different.” 

 

“Perhaps this was all freedom was – a moment in which all things were possible, overtaken too soon by man’s fearsome instinct to punish and divide.” 

 

This book came across by radar through a single review post on IG, from @basiclandcave, back in April 2021. I have never seen it mentioned or referenced anywhere else. But it conceptually stuck with me, after reading their review, so when I saw it in the used section at a local bookstore a few weeks ago, I grabbed it *so fast.* And in a turn of events that surprises even me, I picked it up to actually read almost right away. This is one of few books I've ever bought that hasn't languished on a shelf for months before I got to it...go me! 

 

Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter? is a short piece of nonfiction that addresses exactly what the title promises, moving past the social justice efforts to incorporate transgnder people better into our current social structure to question the need for gender classification in the first place. With sections exploring some of the most common arguments for gender categories, Heath Fogg Davis uses research, case studies, legal precedent, and personal experience to argue that perhaps adding "transgender" and "genderfluid" categories into the current system of classification does not, in fact fix the issues we have with equality/discrimination based on sex and gender, and that we need to really question why those classifications are deemed so universally necessary in the first place. And he offers concrete and practical examples for alternative, and better, methods of achieving the same goals and outcomes these categories claim to be working towards. 

 

Davis' sections look at the following sex-classification systems in turn: sex-marked identity documents (birth certificates, driver's licenses, passports, etc.),  sex-segregated public restrooms, single-sex colleges, and sex-segregated sports. The writing style is very traditional academia, like a person presenting a thesis or final paper, with subtitle sections and conclusions and “I will discuss…” and “I have shown…” language. And while it was, perhaps, not my favorite style, it was very straightforward to follow, with each chapter patterned similarly to each other, in a paralleling way that was incredibly easy to follow, and made inter-chapter references and comparisons quite easy to make and understand. It also allowed for Davis to get right to the point(s), in a concise and accessible way, which I tend to agree is key for this kind of theoretical/exploratory social discussion, which could easily get overly esoteric or intellectual, and therefore impossible to connect back to quotidian realities in a useful way.  

 

This book is honestly a quick enough read that if you are at all interested, conceptually, in Davis' inquiries and theories about moving past gender classification, then I absolutely recommend reading through this yourself. However, I will also share a few major concepts or realizations that I had while reading that were most interesting to me: 

 

- I loved the concept of the “rational relationship” test, where Davis encourages organizations and policy makers to really consider whether a given sex-classification requirement is necessary or harmful, and if there is not a more efficient/effective way for achieving the to meet whatever the aim/goal of the policy is. Even in medical/public health fields, is it the identity or the body parts that are necessary for accurate data collection? And if sex is, in fact, directly relevant, to be very clear and transparent about how and why. What is it being used for? And is first person self-understanding of gender or third person perception of it the more accurate measure in a given situation? 

- What thorough and convincing arguments about changing the current system of sex classifications, which vary from state to state to begin with, because the ultimate decision on whether or not one's "sex marker" on official documents matches one's actual person is left in the hands of administrative agents (like bus drivers or janitors or government workers or ski lift ticket sellers, etc.), which not only makes it changable (which is opposite of the intended purpose), it also has a high potential for harm, as those agents can then make judgements based on their own opinions or beliefs or visual assessments. 

- Fascinating points about how sex markers are actually really poor proxies for verifying personal identity in efforts of preventing fraud, furthering goals of public safety/privacy, and/or furthering feminist institutional reform since they're mutable and inconsistent across the nation, possible to legally change, as well as easy to fake (especially online or over the phone) and up for interpretation as far as what one wears or how one’s cuts their hair or if one has a gender-neutral name, etc. 

- I had conceptually been introduced to the idea of "universal design" before, but not yet with that language. The idea of making adjustments and changes to public accommodations/policies that address needs of and reduce harms to populations of greatest need (not just related to sex/gender inequality and discrimination, but ability level and other things as well), that would also help, and in any case not harm,  people who don’t need those accommodations, should not be as radical as it seems here. 

- I've never considered “separate but equal" in situations other than race before, considering the history of the US, but reading the way Davis applied it here to sex and gender based discrimination was fascinating. 

- How much stock we put in a single medical provider's visual inspection of our genitals at birth as an immutable measure of our biological and lived sexual/gender is a bit unbelievable when you actually think about it. Honestly, even when it matches, this has me thinking how absurd it is that we allow that person who doesn't know us to define us to strictly, considering how much we can change over the course of a life. How is it ok to let a person that doesn't know us have that much power over who we are and what we have "[social] space" become? 

- The discussion of testosterone measurements/limits, uneven expectations in sex-segregated sports (where it may and may not be necessary based on the "goal" of the league in question), and if the arbitrary changes to certain sports to make them "women's" versions have in fact stunted female athletic progress was so interesting. 

 

Overall, I was very impressed by the completeness (theoretically) of the questions raised in this work of nonfiction, for all that it is such a short/fast read. Davis raises so many inquiries that I cannot stop thinking about and mulling over, even as basically (groundwork-style) as thinking through how sex/gender are actually defined, and since it is so mutable, so (legally) it's actually never been defined...but how much we base things off that lack-of-real-definition concept/classification anyways. Like, what?! Davis also does a really nice job addressing intersectional gender issues, particularly the intersections of race and socioeconomic status and sex/gender. I got some similar vibes from this as I did from The Sum of Us, as both focus on the way that trying to reduce harm and increase access in ways that help those most marginalized by race or gender will, in fact, help us all. So while I think there is a baseline assumption that someone picking this up is pro-trans equality in some of the conversation, which should be noted for anyone recommending this, there is also a clear delineation of how these questions would apply to us all, regardless. And I want to end by reiterating the way Davis provides concrete examples of ways that organizations and policies can not only be more inclusive, but can do so proactively, as opposed to in reactive (ad hoc/case-by-case as complaints come in) ways. Often these types of critical thought works of nonfiction raise the questions, but spend less time trying to help guide and suggest solutions, but Davis really does a great job balancing both aspects. What an incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking read...I know I will be considering so much of what he puts forward in these pages for a long time to come, and will definitely be trying to implement his suggestions for improvement in whatever workplace/organizational environments I am able to. 

 

“Instead of trying to assimilate and accommodate transgender individuals into existing sex-classification policies, why not tackle the genesis of “transgender discrimination” – sex-classification, itself? Why not use transgender experience to fundamentally question the social custom of administrating sex?” 

 

“The problem lies in the discretionary leeway that sex markers gran to administrative agents." 

 

“The durable elasticity of binary sex categories tells us that sex-identity discrimination entails something else in addition to the sex-role stereotyping that generates sex-based advantage. Sex-identity discrimination involves the judgement that a person has stretched the elastic bands of binary sex “too far,” […] People who are readable as women or men are generally not asked to produce documentation of their sex identity, even when sex identity is directly relevant to a benefit as important as sex-based affirmative action or as trivial as a ladies’ night drink special.” 

 

 “Universal design begins by taking into account the needs of the people who are most hindered and excluded by traditional design.” 

 

“When an application from prompts […] to check a male or female box, what definition of sex identity is the person being asked to disclose? Is it a first-person self-understanding of being a male or a female? Or is it a third-person perception of how others may perceive the person in relation to the social and legal scheme of binary sex? What should an applicant do when these two conceptions diverge? What about the person who want to check both male and female boxes, or neither?” 

 

“…more often than not the use of sex on bureaucratic forms or to physical segregate people is habitual rather than the product of strategic thinking about why and how sex is relevant to organizational aims, and why and how the use of sex is discriminatory.” 

 

Ever since Gideon the Ninth was published with the description "sapphic necromancers in space," I have been hardcore sold on this series. It didn't hurt that Gideon was also great. And then Harrow the Ninth, which...I've never in my life been more lost while reading a book, and yet I loved it too? So of course I bought Nona as soon as it came out. I'd heard it was a bit different, vibes-wise, from the first two, but people seemed to be enjoying it and were happy with the set-up it gave for the fourth installation. And I'm here to throw my agreement in with that crowd - very different, still great, and oh my goodness am I ready for the "all hell" set to be unleashed in Alecto the Ninth. 

 

 Nona woke up in a body that isn't hers only six months ago. She's still working on the finer points of motor control and learning the world around her. A world that is kind of falling apart. The city she's in is under siege - there's a dangerous blue sphere hanging in the sky, daily violence everywhere, the threat of zombies, and the conflict between Blood of Eden and the Emperor Undying always present. But Nona is pretty happy with the life she has. She loves living with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes (the latter two on and off, as they're sharing a body right now), even if they force her to eat breakfast every morning. She loves being a teacher's assistant and spending time with her friends in school. And she is really looking forward to her upcoming birthday, the guests and the presents and all the things a "normal" kid wants. However, Nona's potential as a weapon means that many forces are coming for her (to use or destroy her, depending) and the past she cannot remember is starting to catch back up. Plus, there's the nightly dreams she has about a red-headed woman with a skull-painted face. 

 

Y'all I started reading this one and for perhaps the first time in this series I thought: I'm following this! I actually wrote "I might have a grasp on what’s happening...we'll see if it holds." Spoiler alert: it did not hold. Haha. But as with the rest of this series, that did not in any way stop me from enjoying the ride. From what I can tell, this story picks up after the events of the first two, as certain characters who had died are currently still dead, or reanimated (that necromancy stuff really puts a wrench in the permanence of dead), or sharing bodies, or in some other state of "not normal life." I've basically decided that the theoretical necromancy aspects of this series are beyond what my brain feel comfortable processing and I'm going to stick "I just trust that necromancy is complicated and I don’t get it but people keep…being rebirthed?…and that’s just what it is." It's allowing me to enjoy the story without getting mired down in the details. 

 

So in the "present-day" part of the story, we get Nona. And oh my goodness, I really did love her. She is so appealingly genuine, in a sweet naive way but not cloyingly so, which is honestly a super-fine line to walk. Her interactions with her friends at school, as well as Pyrrha and Camilla/Palamedes, are weird enough to fit the series' vibe, but provide some dark levity to the otherwise really intense and, frankly, confusing story.   

 

And then there are Nona's dreams. In these dreams, that she mostly doesn't remember, the reader gets their first glimpses into "the world before the Locked Tomb and the Nine Houses." These are sort of like flashbacks, where John Gaius (the person who became the first necromancer and Emperor Undying) basically narrates how he got to where he is currently (where the reader was introduced to the story with Gideon and Harrow). I was very excited to finally get some world-building backstory, whic did help me solidify (a bit) my understanding of the saga overall. I also definitely enjoyed reading John's voice, self-centered and condescending though it may be, for its sarcastic and satirical commentary on the (for us readers, actual current-day) social/political/environmental climate of the world. A note here: whoa, this aspect of the novel took a turn that I know is some kind of commentary on or blasphemy against or sacrilege of the Catholic Church, and I recognize it, but I just can’t pinpoint exactly how. It was so clear, and yet so opaque, simultaneously and all I can say is that the feeling that that's what Nuir was doing was strong, but exactly how she was accomplishing it was beyond me. 

 

As the flashback narrative unfolds to where it meets Nona's story in the "present," we are brought back to the physical Ninth House, cold and dreary and death-and-bone-filled, and the literal locked tomb...which (not really a spoiler because the countdown to this happening is in every chapter title throughout the rest of the novel), said tomb is unlocked!! And now that I have a *smidge* of understanding on who is in that tomb and how it got to that state, I am super excited for the next book, Alecto the Ninth, to find out more about how they're (clearly, deeply) tied into the origin story of this series, as well as to experience to promised "all hell" that they're be bringing now that they're awakened. Plus, of course, I am hoping for the Nona/Harrow and Gideon/"redacted body sharing persona" relationship to rekindle with all the snarky, gothic, sapphic vibes they started with. That's just for personal enjoyment honestly, and not at all related to the unraveling plot-based drama.  

 

So, while I thought for a second I was finally getting my head around this series, I have finished in the same "this story is amazing, but  metaphorical/ephemeral beyond my grasp" place that I started. I honestly do not understand how something feels so just-out-of-reach, (which should be frustrating) and yet I love it so much! What a fantastic otherworldly continuation of this super dark, super mystifying, series. Very hype for Alecto! 

 

“I could never stop you from loving anything. I don't have the right. Nobody has the right to tell you who to love or who not to love, and equally nobody's obliged to love you. If you were forced into loving them, it wouldn’t be love…” 

 

“It felt so easy to be good when you were happy.” 

 

“…I still can’t believe they wouldn’t give me the time of day and they were scared of me. It's not fair. Either you're the evil wizard and everyone wants to know what you think, or you're the good wizard and nobody cares. It wasn't fair. That wasn't how it was meant to work.” 

 

“Nona fell with hers and suffered the incredibly disagreeable experience of two big, dead people landing very hard on top of her, and in no way becoming less heavy or less dead.”  (I mean that is quality writing - and a great example of the overall tone.) 

 

And here we are, the last novella in the Tensorate series. And the conclusion of another successfully completed "read-aloud before bed" series for my partner and myself. 

 

The Ascent to Godhood opens with the Protector's death. As always with the fall of a leader, some rejoice and some mourn. In a tavern deep in the countryside, the leader of the Machinists and the Protector's greatest enemy, Lady Han, is drowning her feelings in drink. When she is approached by a young rebel interested in joining the cause, Lady Han finds herself telling the story of how she first met the Protector, before she was the Protector, back when she was just Hekate, and Lady Han was just a faceless dancing girl. 

 

I really enjoyed getting the back story on Hekate, her rise to becoming the tyrannical Protector we've been introduced to in these last few novellas. I have always loved a well done (villain) origin story, so I appreciated getting that here at the end. I also overall liked the narrative style (though my partner did not - he said it took him out of the story too much), but I do have to say that it wasn't as much fun as the dossier/journal style of the previous novella. Also, I found it a bit strange how varied the different styles of writing for each of the four novellas were. Perhaps if I had read them more spaced out, it may not have been as big of a deal, but all together in one tome like this, it felt a little disjointed. Regardless, this was a really short final installation, so love or hate the style, it didn't last long. 

 

A lot of the themes from the previous novellas were not revisited here, which I think might be why I was so hesitant about how this would wrap things up. However, due to the nature of Lady Han's relationship with and knowledge of the Protector, we did get an interesting sort of paralleling or parody of progress in the perspective, in the way that change is seen/told differently by different people, depending on who benefits and who doesn’t. I thought it was a worthwhile message, to consider that even if things could (always) be better, it's still worth looking back to compare with how they used to be (and see how far we've come) as well. But other than that, none of the previous topics like gender and identity, governmental overreach and experimentation, treatment of foreign and marginalized peoples, etc. (nor any of the characters from earlier novellas, really) are revisited/re-addressed here in this conclusion to the saga.   

 

So, to reiterate, I was nervous, reading this, about how (and if) it would be able to wrap up the full saga/story. It felt to me like the first three novellas were more or less furthering the same characters and story, but this one was so different and removed from the rest of the world that had been built. And while there were definitely some hanging characters/points that I would have loved to see more conclusive "this is where we leave them" details for, I'll admit to being impressed (and corrected) in that the final chapter (which was all of a single page), Yang managed to bring all the major plot threads to a legitimate and fairly satisfying conclusion. As with all novellas, due to their length, there are many specifics that are left up to the imagination of the reader to fill in, but the overall "reveal," if you will, was gratifying. 

 

Overall, I have to say that I (and really we, I'll speak for my partner here as well) were lukewarm on the series as a whole. But, we did enjoy our time reading it, especially the world-building, the speculation (that the author gave lots of space to the reader to explore), and (for me) the writing and big picture ending. 

 

“How do you compare a dream and reality? They don't exist in the same world and don't follow the same rules.” 

 

“…small people like me are the first to be broken on the spearpoints of history and discarded by the powerful.” 

 

“Was it brilliance? Was it madness? Well, both of them are states of mind, aren't they? It depends on who's telling the story. What is called madness in one mouth is called brilliant in another. The mad who succeed and win love - or at least little hatred - are remembered as simply brilliant.” 

 

This was an ALC from Libro.fm a few months ago that I maybe wouldn't have gotten to quite as quickly otherwise. But sometime during these cold January weeks, the heat from this cover really spoke to me, and I decided to give it a go. 

 

Kiki Banjo knows from experience that boys can ruin everything, so she is intent on getting through her university years without getting involved. She's focused on her radio show, Brown Sugar, that is going to help her into the future opportunities she wants, as well as put all her knowledge in avoiding players and heartbreak to good use, sharing it out to her community of women to protect them as well. But when a public interaction with the newest "wasteman" at Whitewell University, Malakai Korede, threatens her reputation, as well as the popularity of her show (putting her place in a prestigious summer program in jeopardy), Kiki has to do some quick thinking to save it all. It turns out, she and Malakai both have projects (her radio show and his videography) that could mutually benefit, so they hatch a plan to grow listenership/viewership by fake dating and using that relationship as a collaboration theme for their projects. As Kiki and Malakai spend time together, learn about each other, and realize they have some really natural rapport, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake...even if they keep trying to deny it. 

 

This was a really strangely juvenile-feeling new adult/university-aged romance. Like, all the dialogue and plot points were mature enough (as far as being right for college), but the hang ups related to cliques and everyone knowing and being all up in everyone else's lives/relationships (and caring about it all so deeply), felt really high school to me. I mean, maybe Whitewell is a small university, so knowing everyone is more possible, but I feel like, in my experience, everyone did not know (or at least know about) everyone like this. But yea, while I feel like this should have read like a new adult read, it just had a really YA vibe to it, for me. Otherwise, like I said the dialogue (or monologue, in reference to Kiki's voice in her radio show and internally), was snappy AF, in a great way. Kiki's observations of people and the wordplay and allusions she uses throughout are spectacular: smart, snappy, lit. And her dialogue with her friends, but especially with Malakai, was gorgeously quick, snarky and had fantastic multi-layered meaning. That writing was the highlight of this reading experience for me. 

 

Looking a little more at the story, it was solid, if nothing special, as far as fake-dating romance goes. As usual, one of the two in the relationship was more into it from the beginning, so waiting til the other person figured out that it was real is...the exact kind of tension you would expect. However, as that wait was happening, I have to say that I really liked watching the friendship of the relationship between Kiki and Malakai grow. Seeing them each start to open up to each other in a more platonic way was refreshing, and a great message/precedent regarding the importance of having social connection and people to confide in. There was a moment of profound vulnerability about two thirds of the way through the novel that was relatable and well-written-real without having to go overboard with the drama to manipulate it into feeling more intense. It was lovely to watch Kiki come out from behind the walls she built for her own emotional safety to make social/emotional connections and come into her own in her greater community as well. While I felt like some parts of that side-plot were sort of forced into the overall book, as opposed to fitting as smoothly as they could have, I could see the thought and intent that was there and appreciated that. 

 

A couple last notes. There was some pretty strong commentary of the power of gossip and social judgement, the way it crushed Kiki once, and almost twice, that I felt like was well placed and, especially in this age of internet/cyber-bullying, quite timely. I see how it made Kiki as closed off and jaded as she was, and also it was a great example of how having a strong community is one of the best resources for fighting through something like that. It may not seem like a big deal to older readers, but in adolescent and young adult realities (a group I work with closely), it really is that affecting. Also, like, I know romances need this "third act drama" as part of the formula, and the rift that happens here makes sense based on their personal baggage and stuff...but this finale was challenge-filled enough to keep interest and bring things to a head without what felt like a little bit of a forced breakup. I understand a fight, because tensions and stress are high, but that would have been enough, in my opinion. But also, this is always my least favorite aspect of most traditional romances, I tend to feel like it's overdone/forced more often than not, so take that commentary with a grain of salt, I guess. 

 

If you want sharp, astute writing, with some solid social commentary about relationships, I definitely recommend this romance. Be prepared for a slightly more youthful perspective than you might expect from college-aged protagonists, but with some real emotional depth to back it up. It was light on steam, because the MCs wanted it that way, and I respected their communication and respect for each other on that point. It also gave a lot of space for a deep interpersonal relationship of similarities, banter, and support to grow as well (not that those cannot happen simultaneously, but it's nice to see those aspects highlighted on their own sometimes). Overall, this was for sure an enjoyable read, if not a new favorite.  

 

 

“…I’d been walking around like I’d swallowed a star: fiery, celestial, delightfully volatile, and beaming everywhere.” 

 

“So this is what I know. I know what it feels like when I get the perfect shot. When the light hits a certain way, and someone's expression is the perfect display of emotion. It feels like you've hit on something sacred. That's how I feel when I look at her. She's the perfect shot. And the perfect shot isn't about being flawless, it's about the truth. She's the truth to me. Clarity.” 

 

Fun fact about me: I was obsessed with the story of Joan of Arc when I was in elementary school. I went to Catholic School through 6th grade and honestly, there were not a lot of actively inspiring women in the religious mythology of Catholicism. Like, men who were saints had stories about fighting dragons and shit, but women who were saints were mostly the victims of terrible societal violence in some way, or otherwise "pure" in an inaccessible way (impossible standards and not really anything one would want to live up to). Anyways, enter Joan of Arc. Definitely a victim of horrific end of life violence, and some weird purity stuff, BUT she also had armour and a sword and fought in wars and generally just seemed really badass. I have very distinct memories of my dad helping me make a spear out of a dowel and some cardstock for a class presentation I was doing about her. Needless to say, this historical fiction of her life was an absolute "must read" for me. 

 

In this retelling of the mythology of Joan of Arc's epic story, Chen breathes life into the women (girl, really), in an incredibly vibrant way. Starting with historical context about the contemporary state of the seemingly endless war between France and England, the reader is dropped right into rural France in the 1400s. Joan's childhood is described with a detailed and realistic touch, from the proxy wars fought between village children to the brutality of her relationship with her father, from her vagabond uncle's influence in her life to the closeness between her and her sister, and finally the tragedy that ensues when English soldiers overrun their village and how that starts Joan down the path of of becoming one of the most famous warriors not only of the Hundred Years War, but also of the entirety of  France's history, at only 17 years old. Facing violence of the physical sort on the battlefield and of the political sort at court, she fights for her country, her sister, and to prove to everyone that women deserve power, glory, and respect.    

 

Well, I admit that I am fully biased, but I absolutely loved this novel. From the beginning, Chen brings it with the sense of time and place. Just a really evocative historical setting, from the physical/location to the social-political to the characterization (in ways both fictional and nonfictional). The opening chapter takes the reader through a gorgeously horrible portrayal of the senselessness of war within the context of a youthful "game." And the violence and terror of that first scene sets up the themes of the rest of the story perfectly. That attention to detail in the experiences of Joan's childhood, so that the reader can reference back to the individual and specific lessons learned, as they are applied throughout her later life, are woven together so smoothly. 

 

War plays a major role in Joan's story, literally and thematically, of course, and Chen explored the violence and upheavals of it, in both peasant and high society lifestyles, in clear and central ways. The visceral portrayal of the effects of war, specific to this historical moment, is incredibly affecting, especially in Joan’s “normal" [female] person perspective. Considering the look at both the short and long term tragedies and sorrows that war brings the toll it takes and what it leaves behind, it really makes you understand and empathize with so many of the choices she makes (in general and in particular at her young age). There’s a few page section where Joan describes to the Dauphin "what she knows of war” and the greed for wealth/power that inspires it, and it is…phew, intense. I felt that it was an unexpected crux of the novel, as it was really just a reflective, if pointed, conversation, and not the action itself. 

 

Another overarching theme, or really more of an exploration, was how Joan's folklore was created. I loved this more secular take, in the retelling, on how a small group took advantage of belief and faith to manipulate the people. This effort was led in no small part, by women, because those tactics and tools were the only ones at hand to use the gifts they had in order to make their cause successful. And Chen did a great job keeping belief deeply intertwined with the story, addressing the faith and religious fervor that made Joan the figurehead she became, as well as a more introspective dive into Joan's own religious questioning and philosophy. I felt like this was such an important consideration, as Joan grapples with how she is "blessed" with such a terrible strength/skill (can being great at killing really be a gift from God?) and how to compromise her own faith with the horrors allowed by that God, the one that is supposedly so involved in so many aspects of war. But seriously, to bring it back around, the way storytelling makes a reputation, a legend, grow (and later how similar tactics were used by political enemies to bring her down again) was enthralling to follow. 

 

A few other things I want to mention. First, the positive or observational. I love (*sarcasm*) that a big strong woman with skill in fighting and weapons can’t be natural... she must be a miracle or gift from god (*eye roll*). The passage where Joan first shoots the bow, the way she sinks into the experience and is carried away by it, by the transcendence of the moment, was written so gorgeously; it was so moving. I don't  know if this was intentional or not, but I was here for the ace coding on Joan's purity/virginity - a fantastic reclaiming of sexuality and reframing of this ridiculous patriarchal religious BS part of her mythos. Next, the less positive. The only real "complaint" I have is that there was some unevenness in the pacing of the story, with the end wrapping up quickly in comparison to the depth of exposition earlier on. However, I partly understand the choice because that is what builds the Joan we then feel we understand, when we get to the later stages of her life. And being left with extensive details of Joan's losses and failures and (horrific) death is perhaps not the legacy that Chen wants the reader to remember most or be left with. I respect that. It just felt a little unevenly handled. Also, and this often frustrates me in fiction about women, there is no mention of menstruation ever... Now, maybe the lack of nutrition or (with all the commentary on her size, etc.) maybe a hormone situation *could* explain her not having one. And yet, I would have liked some recognition/discussion of that part of her female-ness and how it might have been handled within the context of her atypical life. 

 

And now, back to how much I loved this book. I love where it ended. This story of Joan in her own perspective, closing out with her belief in herself and her impact on the future, was just right. We all know the gruesome ending, and it’s insinuated, but it is not the image of her we are left with and that is beautiful to me. The narrative style and tone are just right for this work. Chen takes a figure who has since been…purified…into something that cannot have been the "truth" recreating her humanity to make her something real. Joan was charismatic but flawed, proud and angry but with a focus on making things better for French people and women. She was perhaps blessed, and faith gave her strength, but that would have been nothing without her own courage and leadership and personality to make things happen. Joan just comes alive in Chen’s hands; what an honor, an homage, to the memory of a strong, inspiring, unbelievable woman. 

 

“There are no happy stories, just stories that make you feel grateful you weren't born somewhere else…” 

 

“You must make your own map of the world. Search out your own piece of sky and patch of earth, your own awning to sleep under when it is raining and it feels the sun may never shine again, for there will certainly be such days. No one can walk this path for you. You cannot simply follow in another's footsteps, as though life were a complicated dance, every turn and twist memorized and prepared for ahead of time. There are many things in the world one can inherit: money, land, power, a crown. But an adventure is not one of them; you must make your own journey.” 

 

“How can compassion, temperance, mercy, which are all features of the Virgin, serve you against men such as these? The answer is, they can’t.” 

 

“But I will tell you something I have learned in my forty--eight years. Either a woman must be raised high, higher than the heads of men, or she will be crushed beneath their feet. So, we must raise you high. We must raise you to the height of the heavens themselves. We must dress you in the very mantle of God. Do you understand, Joan?” 

 

“But one must fight for what one loves [...] Or else it will not be heard for others to take it from you.” 

 

“She learns: It's not always armies that win a battle. Sometimes it’s fear.” 

 

“War is like a box. Once you open it, there is no way to close it again, to unsee what you have seen.” 

 

“She can understand how God would inspire poets and artists. She can picture angels breathing sweet music into the ears of the dozing troubadour. But does a talent for slaughter count as a heavenly gift, too?” 

 

“Pain is like this. You endure it, and if you live through it, eventually it becomes something else.” 

 

“Those who do nothing, who stand by and watch as chaos unravels, who feel that as long as they are alive and in good health, it does not matter what else is happening in front of them, why should they be innocent? They are guilty, too.” 

 

“Goodness is just as capable of torment; it thaws the heart and fills up the soul, then leaves in its wake a pit so deep it can never be whole again.” 

 

“I am the greatest warrior alive. [...] I am the performer of miracles. [...] What are you, other than a king?” 

 

The third novella in this fantasy sci-fi series that my partner and I are reading out loud to each other at night...and it was both our favorite of the series so far! 

 

As the story opens, there is a major incident at a research facility in a remote area of the Protectorate. When the tragedy at the Institute was discovered, it was a slaughterhouse, and all experimental subjects had escaped. Found on-scene were two outlaws, part of the Machinist group: Akeha and Rider. A Tensor, Sariman Chuwan, is appointed to investigate and the reader is presented the narration of events through her collectioned evidence, what (highly redacted) materials the Tensorate gives her (clearly inside of a cover-up) and her own journal entries, as she describes her (less and less legal) attempts to find the truth.   

 

The events of this novella take place after the first two, sequentially, but the novella itself is very different in style and events covered. While the first two novellas really focused on Akeha and Mokoya's coming of ages/relationships/stories, this takes us into a wider perspective, looking at the bigger world that they are in and the actions (offenses) of the Tensorate and the Protectorate. It really shows the underhandedness and power-grabbing and icky sneakiness and experiments/cover-ups that are rampant in all ruling groups/classes everywhere (IRL and in fiction). Reading the discoveries at the Institute, and the unfolding of the investigation, in this sort of dossier-style presentation made for a really fun reading experience. And since we also got to read Chuwan's personal journal entries/reflections, the rest was in a much more conversational and casual tone than the writing of the first two novellas - not better or worse, but definitely more entertaining (fun and snarky) and less artistic, as writing goes.  

 

There are definitely some more emotional items explored in this novella. The reason Rider was looking through the Institute in the first place is to try and find their missing twin, and in general learning about what all the children/twins were used for in that facility, was difficult. Even though it was told in glossed-over descriptions, the reader can make inferences. Same with the animals that were spliced and created and experimented on as well. Horrible. And the graphic descriptions of the state of the...remains...at the Institute after the incident are stomach-churning. (A note here: there seemed to be a big narrative build-up to a face of between Rider/Akeha and one of these huge dual species naga-raptors, but it never actually gets addressed, even in passing, on page - which feels like a loose end in a fairly disappointing way, as it seemed to have been a major incident). In relation to all this, the good old “cover up” and “mislead” and “bribe” tactics coming into play here from the Protectorate side of things, with a classic “rogue investigator going after the real story," plot was an entertaining way to learn all this tough information. 

 

Now that we know what the goal of the Tensor experiments at the Institute was, and the level of success they achieved, I really hope this storyline is wrapped up in some way in the final novella, because otherwise, this whole third installation was a major outlier and will leave the reader with lots of hanging ends. And so, on to the finale of this series and our hopes that this interesting, but still requiring a good ending to pull it together and leave a really solid final impression, the series gets the wrap-up it needs. 

 

“Why interrogate me, if you will not believe what I say? I am telling you the truth. Do not dismiss me just because it is not what you want to hear.” 

 

 “My greatest fear is not that I will find some sort of half-animal creature, wild-eyed and untamed. It is that I will find a genuine monster: someone perfectly human, but with a heart of stone, turned cruel from enduring years of cruelty. What if they are not a tool enslaved by the Protectorate but a willing blade? What if they are proof of what I should have known all along - that there is something broken inside me, only waiting for the right environment to bring it out?” 

 

“Generosity will buy you more than a lifetime’s worth of gratitude.” 

 

The publisher reached out to me about this one, to see if I'd be interested in a NetGalley eARC of this one. While I actually normally do not say yes to too many of those offers, mainly because my NetGalley feedback percentage is already abysmal, and I have so many other things I want to read that I'm usually sure I won't get around to it in a timely fashion, this one did sound really good. We all know I'm a suck for a vampire situation. Haha. And standalone adult fantasy is tough to come by. So...I decided to give it a try. And I had already started this year with a couple pretty heavy contemporary lit reads, so this kind of escapism was exactly what I needed. 

 

Remy Pendergast is a very well-known and extremely successful [rogue] vampire hunter, if not a particularly popular one (what with his father's terrible reputation and the rumors about his mother's relationships leading many to question if he is half-vampire himself). When Remy is sent out to hunt down a new, and especially terrifying, breed of vampire, he crosses paths with some others who have the same goal. Xiaodan Song is a vampire heiress with a uniquely terrifying (for vampires) gift and her partner, Zidan Malekh, is an ancient and powerful vampire lord. When the two request that he join them in their efforts to hunt down the source of the virus that is causing this horrible new vampire mutation (dubbed "the Rot"), he decides to go with them, despite myriad reservations about associating with vampires that closely. As the three spend time together, Remy learns not just more about his own family's reputation and history, but about himself as well. As the mystery around the Rot unfolds, he realizes that he hasn't been told the full story by his father. And his complicated growing feelings towards Xiaodan *and* Zidan might, in fact, be reciprocated by both. 

 

Well, I am on an unexpected roll (decidedly not purposeful, but I'm very much not complaining) with polyamorous vampire reads. Though while A Dowry of Blood leaned more dark romance, this one was definitely more vampire/creature hunting horror. However, there were some really great threesome scenes once we finally got to that section in this book. And I mean finally, because let me tell you, the slow burn and sexual tension was real. It was drawn out and teasing in the best way. And, while it isn't usually my favorite romance/steam aspect, I did think the dirty talk/innuendo (well, let me be clear, I love innuendo, I am less into direct dirty talk, but anyways...) was great. Overall, definitely the highlight of this read, at least for me, was the relationship amongst Remy, Xiaodan and Zidan - their interactions physically and verbally were all great, unique to whether it's one-on-one in any combination or all three together. (Side note, there was lots of swearing in this very casually written 

 

I also really enjoyed the general storyline. While some things were maybe not as clear as they could have been, especially regarding the drop straight into the details of the human and vampire courts from the beginning, with a bit less exposition than might have been necessary, I eventually got caught up in the story enough to push through and more or less get a handle on things. And I liked the overarching mystery-solving/investigation framework for the plot. It was a major part of what helped me push through some of the more convoluted world-building things, because at the very least I was following the mystery parts. And while there were some definite horror aspects, in the way the new vampire-types were able to regenerate (and the descriptions of some of their visual impacts were pretty visceral), it was a low key enough paranormal horror that it was fine for me (a big horror scaredy-cat). There were also some super creepy aspects, like the mind control pieces and very young vampires, that gave me icky feels or shivers, but with enough removal from reality to not be too much. As far as how the mystery wrapped up...I can't say it was a total surprise. At a certain point, it felt like the only possible "solution." But it was still satisfying to read. 

 

Finally, I know this was an ARC variation, so hopefully some further editing was done before final publication, but it definitely did feel a bit unfinished. Like, some lack of smoothness in the language, weird transitions in some of the dialogue that occasionally made it feel like there were some lines missing, and a few details here and there that might have made the world/plot feel more tangible...just an overall sense of distance was created by this somewhat slippery reading experience. And don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it overall (and loved the relationship pieces), but in getting into some of the more specific (nit-picky ish) review points, there were some finer aspects that left something to be desired.