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purplepenning
Close to a 4-star read for me — there's plenty of beautiful, clever writing here — but I genuinely hated that last line so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This one is so, so hard for me to review, but I at least need to say this: CONTENT WARNINGS ABOUND. This has the look and feel of a younger YA read, but there's pretty brutal massacre, torture/body horror, sexual assault of kids (backstory), and more.
Book two of the Extraordinaries takes us out of the slow burn and right into the dumpster fire — but in the best possible way. With MORE Extraordinaries turning up in Nova City, MORE fan fiction peppering the narrative, MORE Nicky and Seth developing their boyfriend groove, MORE extreme secondhand embarrassment from the endearing father-son situation, MORE Jazz and Gibby time, MORE stream-of-consciousness ADHD brilliance from Nicky, MORE thoughtful discussions of difficult topics (including police brutality and corruption), MORE #SquadGOALS, MORE over-the-top villains, and, I hate to break it to you, MORE CLIFFHANGER REVEALS.
Some of the pacing seems just a little off, some of the heavier topics a little belabored, and some of the surprise twists and reveals a little obvious, but overall, this is a delightful extension of this world and I love spending time with this group. The drama keeps getting deeper but so do the relationships — and it's all delivered with that sparkle of wit, imagination, and kindness that you've come to expect from Klune.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TorTeen for the digital ARC!
Some of the pacing seems just a little off, some of the heavier topics a little belabored, and some of the surprise twists and reveals a little obvious, but overall, this is a delightful extension of this world and I love spending time with this group. The drama keeps getting deeper but so do the relationships — and it's all delivered with that sparkle of wit, imagination, and kindness that you've come to expect from Klune.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TorTeen for the digital ARC!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Despite the big buzz, numerous accolades, and my accidentally dillydallying until the paperback came out, I managed to go into this one knowing almost nothing about it except "epic fantasy with a sort of pre-Columbian setting." I usually dig a little deeper before picking up a 450-page series opener, but I'm glad I didn't — walking nearly blindly into this world perfectly matched the casually immersive writing that turns this tale into an experience instead of just a story. I'm not going to tell you much about the world-building. Jump in and experience it. (I will say, however, that I found it immediately immersive, but not immediately engaging. It took me a while after the shocking opener and brief tour of our main characters before I was sold on continuing the experience. I'm obviously glad I did.)
The basic story itself is about a convergence: of cultures, of prophesies, of political machinations, of collective trauma, of celestial bodies, of insecurities and prejudices, and of a diverse cast of principal characters. Serapio is a sheltered young man, raised and trained to the dark destiny of a dark god. Naranpa is a former guttersnipe now idealistic priest, raised to the highest position of Sun Priest. Xiala is a magical Teek, far from home and generally unwelcomed elsewhere, with hopes now raised to that of independent ship's captain. The narrative counts down to the convergence of the winter solstice and a solar eclipse while we watch — uneasy, fascinated, devastated, hopeful, enthralled — the convergence of plans all but irrevocably set into motion and people set toward destruction.
It's a skillfully written, gorgeously described, powerfully imagined series opener with layers of integrated diversity (of cultures, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexualities, abilities, socioeconomic statuses, etc.) and an intense, epic fantasy story.
Topics, tropes and themes: sophisticated pre-Columbian societies, family, purpose, bigotry, superstition, magic, political intrigue, generational trauma, prophecy, chosen one trope
Content notes: ritual mutilation and scarification, sudden gruesome slaughter, blood magic, strong language, sacrificial suicide, drinking in excess, substance use for magic/altered state, bigotry, death by drowning, near death experience, banishment, reference to forced prostitution (back story), poverty (backstory),
My thanks to #NetGalley and #GalleryBooks #SagaPress for a digital ARC.
The basic story itself is about a convergence: of cultures, of prophesies, of political machinations, of collective trauma, of celestial bodies, of insecurities and prejudices, and of a diverse cast of principal characters. Serapio is a sheltered young man, raised and trained to the dark destiny of a dark god. Naranpa is a former guttersnipe now idealistic priest, raised to the highest position of Sun Priest. Xiala is a magical Teek, far from home and generally unwelcomed elsewhere, with hopes now raised to that of independent ship's captain. The narrative counts down to the convergence of the winter solstice and a solar eclipse while we watch — uneasy, fascinated, devastated, hopeful, enthralled — the convergence of plans all but irrevocably set into motion and people set toward destruction.
It's a skillfully written, gorgeously described, powerfully imagined series opener with layers of integrated diversity (of cultures, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexualities, abilities, socioeconomic statuses, etc.) and an intense, epic fantasy story.
Topics, tropes and themes: sophisticated pre-Columbian societies, family, purpose, bigotry, superstition, magic, political intrigue, generational trauma, prophecy, chosen one trope
Content notes: ritual mutilation and scarification, sudden gruesome slaughter, blood magic, strong language, sacrificial suicide, drinking in excess, substance use for magic/altered state, bigotry, death by drowning, near death experience, banishment, reference to forced prostitution (back story), poverty (backstory),
My thanks to #NetGalley and #GalleryBooks #SagaPress for a digital ARC.
Perfect for fans of Evie Dunmore's League of Extraordinary Women series! Hell's Belles is not just a fun new series from historical romance master Sarah MacLean, it's a fun new patriarchy-smashing Victorian girl-gang series that picks up where the Scandal & Scoundrel series left off. For those of you who can't remember — me, always me — or haven't picked them up yet, the Scandal & Scoundrel series tells the story of Sophie, the youngest, and Seraphina, the oldest, of the five scandalous Talbot sisters, known to Society as the Soiled S's. Because Society is awful like that.
Society is no less awful in "Bombshell," but it eventually will be if Sesily Talbot, the most scandalous of the Talbot sisters, and her group friends/vigilantes have their way. Sesily is unapologetically bold, sexy, independent, and handy with a knife. She's also inconveniently, ill-advisedly attracted to her sister Seraphina's American business partner, Caleb. The feeling is mutual — except the undeniable attraction on Caleb's side is a little more than just ill-advised and inconvenient. It's perilous and impossible. Will Sesily jeopardize her pursuit for justice to pursue the affections of the only person who has ever really seen and understood her? Will Caleb jeopardize everything he's worked his entire life to protect to be with the only person who has ever felt like home?
This is a slow-burn, mutual-yearning romance with a strong female lead and an honorable love interest. I felt like the yearning got in the way of the story and chemistry at times, but Sesily's banter is *chef's kiss*, the sex scenes are *fans self*, the action adventure is *eats popcorn, riveted*, and the cast of characters set up for the rest of the series is *adds to cart*.
My thanks to #NetGalley and #Avon for a digital ARC.
Society is no less awful in "Bombshell," but it eventually will be if Sesily Talbot, the most scandalous of the Talbot sisters, and her group friends/vigilantes have their way. Sesily is unapologetically bold, sexy, independent, and handy with a knife. She's also inconveniently, ill-advisedly attracted to her sister Seraphina's American business partner, Caleb. The feeling is mutual — except the undeniable attraction on Caleb's side is a little more than just ill-advised and inconvenient. It's perilous and impossible. Will Sesily jeopardize her pursuit for justice to pursue the affections of the only person who has ever really seen and understood her? Will Caleb jeopardize everything he's worked his entire life to protect to be with the only person who has ever felt like home?
This is a slow-burn, mutual-yearning romance with a strong female lead and an honorable love interest. I felt like the yearning got in the way of the story and chemistry at times, but Sesily's banter is *chef's kiss*, the sex scenes are *fans self*, the action adventure is *eats popcorn, riveted*, and the cast of characters set up for the rest of the series is *adds to cart*.
My thanks to #NetGalley and #Avon for a digital ARC.
"It wasn't easy being the key to other people's happiness, their victory, and their vindication."
HIS ONLY WIFE is domestic fiction that showcases family connections and cultures in contemporary Ghana while telling a universal story about a young woman balancing the expectations of two families and finding her place in the world. The writing is descriptive without being heavy — deftly evoking both the rural village life and the big city energy of Accra.
This wasn't an entirely satisfying read for me, but it had a strong sense of place and culture, which I love, and offered lots of themes and food for thought, including the meaning and priorities of marriage, matriarchal manipulation in a world of patriarchal power, community and family, culture and legacy, education and opportunity, gratitude and obligation, socioeconomic disparity, expectation vs reality, security vs independence, and a wealth of material to mine for thoughts on female gendered roles in society and relationships.
HIS ONLY WIFE is domestic fiction that showcases family connections and cultures in contemporary Ghana while telling a universal story about a young woman balancing the expectations of two families and finding her place in the world. The writing is descriptive without being heavy — deftly evoking both the rural village life and the big city energy of Accra.
This wasn't an entirely satisfying read for me, but it had a strong sense of place and culture, which I love, and offered lots of themes and food for thought, including the meaning and priorities of marriage, matriarchal manipulation in a world of patriarchal power, community and family, culture and legacy, education and opportunity, gratitude and obligation, socioeconomic disparity, expectation vs reality, security vs independence, and a wealth of material to mine for thoughts on female gendered roles in society and relationships.