laurelthebooks's Reviews (662)

If ever there was a nonfiction book that could have ended with "To Be Continued" it would be Empire of Pain. I had no clue just how ongoing and recent so much of the information in this book is - or how much there still is to be uncovered.

This book covers the history of the Sackler family in America and to quote Keefe himself is about "ambition, philanthropy, crime and impunity, the corruption of institutions, power, and greed" - and of course, the opioid crisis tied into it all. If you have any interest in medical history, business, or even legal precedence this book is one to put on your list.  

I deeply appreciated the "Notes on Sources" at the end and vote that when possible all nonfiction books have this to illustrate to readers where everything in the book came from and what else could be out there.

I should perhaps know by now that humor isn't really my jam

This book was simultaneously wonderful and awful.

 "She's breathing nothing, asphyxiating in purity."

To be completely honest, the tagline of "queer Joan of Arc in space with some mechas" pretty much covered it. The Genesis of Misery is about religion, politics, obsession, and the main character getting in way over their head before deciding to go in even deeper. The narration style does keep a bit of distance between the reader and the story at times, but I found it made it even easier to dive into. In a way, it reminds me of reading in-depth summaries of historical happenings (the interestingly written ones, not the ones that are just paragraphs of dates and names).

Misery is not a character I connected with but was indeed a character I enjoyed following nonetheless. From wondering about what was reality to shaking my head at drastic decisions, it was a story that kept pace admirably well even with the number of details provided. Full name Misery Jasper Osmanthus Nomaki does not leave the reader wondering if they will take action, but rather what action they will be taking (hint: usually large amounts of destruction follow).

"She hates being reminded that she, as an entity, exists in places she cannot control, in people's databases and in their reports and in their thoughts where they're surely forming inaccurate opinions of her."

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys scrappy characters who often give no thought to consequences and fans of science-fiction with fascinating socio-political landscapes (Church and Throne here have some interconnections that will make historians nod their heads). 

The opening lines of this book lay out what you can expect:

"I walked into the tavern in search of the most important thing in the world.
A story.
And I ended up swept into the most dangerous one of all."

If the tone, rhythm, and structure of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss was your jam, then The First Binding by R. R. Virdi will be as well. The world details differ, but this book rolls with the punches the exact same way.

So, everyone who loves epic tome fantasies with oddly rigorous magic, mythological backdrops, thieves, quests, and story-obsessed, spiteful, and dramatic main characters, come one and come all! I'm fairly sure you'll love it. The ending, while not exactly a cliff-hanger, does promise an exciting continuation in the next book (which already has a release date of Oct. 2023! I imagine the series will not emulate Rothfuss' in its delays at least).

I think I have over-tired myself on epic fantasy after a few decades of it, and I'm sad it had to happen on such a promising book. If I once again get the hankering for an epic though, I do know where to return to.