literatureaesthetic's Reviews (540)

i need a cigarette 

'i do worry sometimes. that i’m just entertaining myself while i stave off the inevitable'

my roman empire

i am feeling SO MUCH rn

my favourite out of all of the secret projects thus far!! this book was so cute. the world and magic system were giving final fantasy 10 (if final fantasy had noodle shops and floating plants 🌱) the atmosphere was immaculate, and the artwork was beautiful. stunning vibes.

however, there were a few elements that prevented me from completely falling in love: the characters weren't my favourite, and i say this all the time, but sanderson's humour is NOT for me. still, it was fun and cute and an enjoyable, quick read

(sidenote: BAFFLED that people are saying this is the best cosmere release?? put some respect on oathbringer)

WAR IS OVER

‘children of dune’ is the third book in the dune series, and it builds upon the themes introduced in the previous two instalments in a way that i found to be absolutely incredible. where ‘dune’ and ‘dune messiah’ focus on the rise and fall of colonial imperialist paul atreides, in book 3, we refocus on the effects of colonisation on the ecology and landscape of dune.

arrakis begins transforming. the desert planet’s metamorphosis into a green world with water poses a risk to essential life like sandworms. we see dune developed: buildings, roads, and plants. what seems to be a symbol of evolution and progression quickly descends into an allegory of colonial rule and the erasure of indigenous lands and ways of life. it’s haunting to see this world become something it should've never been, and ‘children of dune’ primarily focuses on the consequences of this change. 

this series feels so current and urgent. it's messaging on the horrors of colonisation, religious fervour and politics, flawed and corrupt power systems, and the erasure of indigenous lifestyles, is something that we're witnessing right now in parts of our world. this series and it's ideas feel more relevant than ever.

i’ve seen a lot of people critique the character development in this book, and i completely disagree. i found the complexity of certain characters—alia, specifically—to be mind-blowing. the layers of these characters and the way they fit into the wider universe and into the environment have been so carefully considered. alia has to be one of the most compelling characters i’ve read in a LONG time. i could write an entire essay on her alone.

however, i did have some issues actually reading this book. i struggled with the first chunk; it took me roughly 200 pages to fall into the story. i think herbert is an incredible author, but this instalment did feel like a book of riddles at times. herbert writes in a way where everything feels excessively ambiguous. his vagueness has a tendency to get in the way of the plot. for those reasons, this was a 3.5/75☆ for the majority of the story. however, that last third was absolutely insane, and i couldn’t not give it a higher rating.

overall, ‘children of dune’ is the end of an era. the new slowly, reluctantly, erases the old. the direction this series is going in is completely unprecedented (but i'm very much a fan). each book gets weirder and weirder and i am beyond excited to see what happens next!!

justice for carmilla, she did nothing wrong

i fucking KNEW IT

a little underwhelmed, tbh

girlhood is sobbing over books that explore the mother wound

like how on earth am i supposed to move on from this:
- 'no one protected me, no one saved me, no one ever held out their hand and walked me away. But I’m trying to save you, Sunshine. I’m trying in my broken way. I’m holding out my arms. I’m taking the apple you’re handing me. I’m looking into your eyes and saying it’s the most perfect thing. Even though you’re not hearing me. You’re already skipping away. Still I call after. I love you.'