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simonlorden's Reviews (1.38k)
edit 18.06.15: I thought more about this book and realised that maybe 5 stars is too high, so I'm changing my review to 4. I still think it's a good start to learn about nonbinary pronouns for someone who doesn't know anything, though, and I think that's kind of the aim of it.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(Note: I am a nonbinary person who uses she/her and e/em pronouns.)
This was truly a quick, easy and useful read, just as the title promises. "A Quick and Easy Guide" is a basic introduction to nonbinary people and gender-neutral pronouns (specifically they/them pronouns, although the same rules and examples can be applied to any gender-neutral pronouns).
The book is written by Archie, a nonbinary person, and Tristan, a cisgender ally, and it can be useful for both allies, and nonbinary people who are figuring themselves out. Other than just explaining how to use gender-neutral pronouns, it touches on a lot of other topics, like what misgendering feels like, how you can help if your friend gets misgendered, how to act if you accidentally misgender someone, why phrasing such as "preferred pronouns" is not a good idea, etc.
The section written for nonbinary people also addresses that while sometimes you might have to compromise or pick your battles, it's not worth holding on to people who consistently misgender and disrespect you. Which can be difficult to accept, especially if it's someone close to you, but trust me, it's true.
This is obviously not a complete resource, because it's impossible to talk about every nonbinary experience in so few pages, but for a basic resource, I was surprised by how many things and concerns it included.
tldr; This is a good introduction to gender-neutral pronouns for people who are new to the concept - it's a good place to start, and it also encourages further reading.
I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(Note: I am a nonbinary person who uses she/her and e/em pronouns.)
This was truly a quick, easy and useful read, just as the title promises. "A Quick and Easy Guide" is a basic introduction to nonbinary people and gender-neutral pronouns (specifically they/them pronouns, although the same rules and examples can be applied to any gender-neutral pronouns).
The book is written by Archie, a nonbinary person, and Tristan, a cisgender ally, and it can be useful for both allies, and nonbinary people who are figuring themselves out. Other than just explaining how to use gender-neutral pronouns, it touches on a lot of other topics, like what misgendering feels like, how you can help if your friend gets misgendered, how to act if you accidentally misgender someone, why phrasing such as "preferred pronouns" is not a good idea, etc.
The section written for nonbinary people also addresses that while sometimes you might have to compromise or pick your battles, it's not worth holding on to people who consistently misgender and disrespect you. Which can be difficult to accept, especially if it's someone close to you, but trust me, it's true.
This is obviously not a complete resource, because it's impossible to talk about every nonbinary experience in so few pages, but for a basic resource, I was surprised by how many things and concerns it included.
tldr; This is a good introduction to gender-neutral pronouns for people who are new to the concept - it's a good place to start, and it also encourages further reading.
Positive:
- I loved the girls eventually working together, and how their powers all fit - and all the creative solutions they had to combine/use their powers
- I loved the complete subverting of male heroes rescuing princesses
- I loved the characters
Negative:
- I was really ehhhh about the main romance, and Terri's male sidekick having a POV. Maybe because nothing in the blurb suggested it, so I wasn't prepared for it? But I really would have preferred this book without a romance
- Also, it kinda ended it with most of the cast (except for one girl, because there were 4 girls and only 3 boys) pairing up in m/f pairings which is also ehhh
I might write a longer review later. Overall, I loved the story, but the romance part dragged it down to 4 stars for me.
- I loved the girls eventually working together, and how their powers all fit - and all the creative solutions they had to combine/use their powers
- I loved the complete subverting of male heroes rescuing princesses
- I loved the characters
Negative:
- I was really ehhhh about the main romance, and Terri's male sidekick having a POV. Maybe because nothing in the blurb suggested it, so I wasn't prepared for it? But I really would have preferred this book without a romance
- Also, it kinda ended it with most of the cast (except for one girl, because there were 4 girls and only 3 boys) pairing up in m/f pairings which is also ehhh
I might write a longer review later. Overall, I loved the story, but the romance part dragged it down to 4 stars for me.
I might be a little harsh with the rating, but I ended up really hating this book by the end.
This was another one of those cases for me where the cover and the concept are great, but that doesn't necessarily mean good execution or good writing.
Imagine reading an action scene that is supposed to be fast-paced, exciting, and fun. Now imagine there is one page of inner monologue between any two actions. No, seriously, that's the entire book. I admit that the villain's voice was sometimes funny, but mostly it felt repetitive, and just... too much. Like, gods, please stop randomly reminiscing or mentally commenting on everything and let me read what's happening! Is everyone just... standing there while you think about this stuff?
Another thing that bugged me is... Listen, I know we're all used to superhero movies where the superhero puts on a glass or changes their clothes and suddenly nobody recognises them. It's silly, but we all accept it. That's fine. But the super villain called Night Terror literally uses the last name "Terror" when she goes undercover, and nobody makes the connection? That's not even an actual name, people.
Ultimately, this was a really, really frustrating read, especially like, the last 30% in the ebook.
A few positive things, just so this review isn't entirely negative: I enjoyed the beginning where Night Terror interacts with the cops (although the repetitive/too much narrating was definitely a thing there too). I also enjoyed the random, casual references to past events, like Night Terror single-handedly fighing off an alien invasion.
This was another one of those cases for me where the cover and the concept are great, but that doesn't necessarily mean good execution or good writing.
Imagine reading an action scene that is supposed to be fast-paced, exciting, and fun. Now imagine there is one page of inner monologue between any two actions. No, seriously, that's the entire book. I admit that the villain's voice was sometimes funny, but mostly it felt repetitive, and just... too much. Like, gods, please stop randomly reminiscing or mentally commenting on everything and let me read what's happening! Is everyone just... standing there while you think about this stuff?
Another thing that bugged me is... Listen, I know we're all used to superhero movies where the superhero puts on a glass or changes their clothes and suddenly nobody recognises them. It's silly, but we all accept it. That's fine. But the super villain called Night Terror literally uses the last name "Terror" when she goes undercover, and nobody makes the connection? That's not even an actual name, people.
Ultimately, this was a really, really frustrating read, especially like, the last 30% in the ebook.
A few positive things, just so this review isn't entirely negative: I enjoyed the beginning where Night Terror interacts with the cops (although the repetitive/too much narrating was definitely a thing there too). I also enjoyed the random, casual references to past events, like Night Terror single-handedly fighing off an alien invasion.
Read on my blog.
LGBTQAI+: Lesbian main character and love interest
Sex on page: No
Note: Half-Filipina main character
It’s somehow unusually difficult to articulate my thoughts about this book, so this review might be a little all over the place.
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while – I was first intrigued by the cover and the title, then the blurb. Cheerleaders who fight aliens like some kind of superheroes? Sign me up!
I read this book fairly quickly and I enjoyed it as well, but when I got to the end I had to realise that it was more forgettable than I hoped. I enjoyed the action and the plot twists (really – I guessed part of it, but there was much that I couldn’t/didn’t guess so I was at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen), but when everything was finally revealed, it felt like a little too much at once. Suddenly all kinds of government conspiracies and they-aren’t-who-you-think and Greek mythology was involved, and most of this was revealed at the same time. I felt like a more gradual reveal of the situation might have been better.
Most importantly, I just couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. I enjoyed the dialogue, especially the several references/jokes about the upcoming election and such, but in the end none of the characters truly grabbed me. I was interested in what was going to happen them, but not THEM, if that makes sense.
In short, this was an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable read for me.
My rating: 🛸🛸🛸🛸/5.
LGBTQAI+: Lesbian main character and love interest
Sex on page: No
Note: Half-Filipina main character
It’s somehow unusually difficult to articulate my thoughts about this book, so this review might be a little all over the place.
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while – I was first intrigued by the cover and the title, then the blurb. Cheerleaders who fight aliens like some kind of superheroes? Sign me up!
I read this book fairly quickly and I enjoyed it as well, but when I got to the end I had to realise that it was more forgettable than I hoped. I enjoyed the action and the plot twists (really – I guessed part of it, but there was much that I couldn’t/didn’t guess so I was at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen), but when everything was finally revealed, it felt like a little too much at once. Suddenly all kinds of government conspiracies and they-aren’t-who-you-think and Greek mythology was involved, and most of this was revealed at the same time. I felt like a more gradual reveal of the situation might have been better.
Most importantly, I just couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. I enjoyed the dialogue, especially the several references/jokes about the upcoming election and such, but in the end none of the characters truly grabbed me. I was interested in what was going to happen them, but not THEM, if that makes sense.
In short, this was an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable read for me.
My rating: 🛸🛸🛸🛸/5.
Read on my blog.
LGBTQAI+: I think Tisker (a side character) is gay, but there is only really one reference to it and the word isn’t used. There are also aliens who use neopronouns. (So, not much.)
Sex on page: No (also no romance at all, only references to a past fling)
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not even sure how to rate this book. 3 stars? 3.5?
Peridot is a fractured planet made up of many islands, home to five distinct humanoid races that were created by the Divine Alchemists, who are now worshipped as gods: Cutter, Breaker, Bone, Vein and Rakkar. The main character, Talis, and two other members of her crew are all Cutters, and the fourth one, Dug is a Bone.
I would like to start by saying that I loved the worldbuilding in theory – the fractured planet and the five races that were created by gods who still live among the people – but I had problems with the execution. To me, the Cutters sort of seemed like “regular” humans with no real special characteristics. We only see one Breaker in the entire book, and basically no named Rakkars. The Vein are four-limbed people who are physically blind, but oh, they have a magical sight – like every other blind race in anything ever. And finally, the Bone are dark-skinned people who live in desert tribes. While not outright barbaric, the Bone are often portrayed as violent, and the one Bone crew member, Dug, is described as large and intimidating immediately when he appears. I hope I don’t have to explain why I was conflicted about that. In short, I liked the idea but I felt like the races could have been written much better, and I’m hoping they’ll be more detailed in the sequel.
As for the characters, in the first half I was intrigued by all four crew members of the Wind Sabre – but towards the second half, Sophie and Tisker faded into the background and barely felt like individual people. Also, as I mentioned above, there is one throwaway sentence about Tisker not preferring Talis’s “parts”, which is not only a pretty cissexist way to say he’s gay, but it’s also never brought up again. (To be fair, there aren’t really heterosexual romances in the book either, other than mentions of the fling Talis used to have with one of the male antagonists.)
One thing I really enjoyed was the alien race (the Yu’Nyun) and the very different way they use gender and pronouns. They don’t seem to have genders at all, or at least at this point we don’t know anything about those – they use pronouns based on situation and class, and they have very strict rules on what class is allowed to wear what type of clothes. If I remember well, there are 9 pronoun groups, but like 50 different versions of the same pronoun? While this is only explored in a couple of scenes so far, I was genuinely intrigued by an alien race that is truly different from what we expect, and doesn’t just have the same binary genders. The characters we see use the xe/xin/xist pronoun set, and one of them becomes a major side character. (Although an actual “human” (Cutter, Bone, etc.) nonbinary character would have been nice.)
As for the plot… I sadly have to admit that I almost completely lost interest in the book about 70% in. I found myself enjoying it until then, but the main battle fell flat for me and I was begging for it to be over. Still, there were some plot twists and solutions by the crew before the 70% mark that I appreciated.
In short, I would say that Flotsam had many ideas that I liked, but the execution very often could have been better. I might pick up the sequel to see if these things improve, but at this point I am undecided. Honestly, I have no idea where the plot is going after this, but I hope we learn more about the Rakkars and the Breakers, as well as the Yu’Nyun. Especially regarding the Yu’Nyun, I have some suspicions based on hints and I would love to see more.
My rating: 👾👾👾/5.
LGBTQAI+: I think Tisker (a side character) is gay, but there is only really one reference to it and the word isn’t used. There are also aliens who use neopronouns. (So, not much.)
Sex on page: No (also no romance at all, only references to a past fling)
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not even sure how to rate this book. 3 stars? 3.5?
Peridot is a fractured planet made up of many islands, home to five distinct humanoid races that were created by the Divine Alchemists, who are now worshipped as gods: Cutter, Breaker, Bone, Vein and Rakkar. The main character, Talis, and two other members of her crew are all Cutters, and the fourth one, Dug is a Bone.
I would like to start by saying that I loved the worldbuilding in theory – the fractured planet and the five races that were created by gods who still live among the people – but I had problems with the execution. To me, the Cutters sort of seemed like “regular” humans with no real special characteristics. We only see one Breaker in the entire book, and basically no named Rakkars. The Vein are four-limbed people who are physically blind, but oh, they have a magical sight – like every other blind race in anything ever. And finally, the Bone are dark-skinned people who live in desert tribes. While not outright barbaric, the Bone are often portrayed as violent, and the one Bone crew member, Dug, is described as large and intimidating immediately when he appears. I hope I don’t have to explain why I was conflicted about that. In short, I liked the idea but I felt like the races could have been written much better, and I’m hoping they’ll be more detailed in the sequel.
As for the characters, in the first half I was intrigued by all four crew members of the Wind Sabre – but towards the second half, Sophie and Tisker faded into the background and barely felt like individual people. Also, as I mentioned above, there is one throwaway sentence about Tisker not preferring Talis’s “parts”, which is not only a pretty cissexist way to say he’s gay, but it’s also never brought up again. (To be fair, there aren’t really heterosexual romances in the book either, other than mentions of the fling Talis used to have with one of the male antagonists.)
One thing I really enjoyed was the alien race (the Yu’Nyun) and the very different way they use gender and pronouns. They don’t seem to have genders at all, or at least at this point we don’t know anything about those – they use pronouns based on situation and class, and they have very strict rules on what class is allowed to wear what type of clothes. If I remember well, there are 9 pronoun groups, but like 50 different versions of the same pronoun? While this is only explored in a couple of scenes so far, I was genuinely intrigued by an alien race that is truly different from what we expect, and doesn’t just have the same binary genders. The characters we see use the xe/xin/xist pronoun set, and one of them becomes a major side character. (Although an actual “human” (Cutter, Bone, etc.) nonbinary character would have been nice.)
As for the plot… I sadly have to admit that I almost completely lost interest in the book about 70% in. I found myself enjoying it until then, but the main battle fell flat for me and I was begging for it to be over. Still, there were some plot twists and solutions by the crew before the 70% mark that I appreciated.
In short, I would say that Flotsam had many ideas that I liked, but the execution very often could have been better. I might pick up the sequel to see if these things improve, but at this point I am undecided. Honestly, I have no idea where the plot is going after this, but I hope we learn more about the Rakkars and the Breakers, as well as the Yu’Nyun. Especially regarding the Yu’Nyun, I have some suspicions based on hints and I would love to see more.
My rating: 👾👾👾/5.
Read on my blog.
LGBTQAI+: Xandri, the protagonist is bisexual and polyamorous, and there is also at least one sapphic side character/potential LI.
Sex on page: No
I have seen several people recommend this book on Twitter as an amazing indie book with an #ownvoices autistic protagonist, and I was not disappointed. Failure to Communicate was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to read the sequel (not to mention the beautiful covers for both books).
Xandri was a detailed, three-dimensional protagonist who was easy to get attached to. I loved reading about the way she perceived patterns, people and the world, and I also loved the ways in which she was unique – for example, that nobody else thought to make friends with the ship’s AI. I also loved the many, many different alien species that were hard to keep track of at first, but once I got used to it I appreciated the thought and worldbuilding that went into making many unique species.
One of my favourite tropes in sci-fi on spaceships is the crew as family, and that really shone through here. While they had their disagreements and tension, Xandri’s crew held together, and they were especially ride-or-die for her. I loved the way most of them kept her needs in mind and helped her cope without making her feel like a burden, and how they (especially Diver) went out of their way to defend her.
This book also had mention of polyamorous communities, as well as a budding polyamorous relationship between central characters, although it didn’t become official in this book. Still, I absolutely loved the dynamic between the three of them and I’m eager to see more.
Failure to Communicate also had themes that went much deeper than fluff between crew members. The blurb starts with naming Xandri as one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, and pretty early on the book explains the way people now engineer their children before birth to get rid of any irregularities or neurodivergency. In a way, autistic and mentally ill people were wiped out – not by killing them outright, but by not letting them be born at all. While the crew knows Xandri and supports her, there is much ableism from strangers and the society in general – some of it unintended. Since there are only a few autistic people are left, all most people have to go on are inaccurate, generalised texts that show them as cold and without emotions. The level of ableism in this society was often sickening, especially towards the end (and yes, I was disappointed by Christa reverting to ableist comments even at 96% in the ebook).
The book also addresses gun violence and gun control, not only through the Anmerilli but also by directly referencing 21st century “Ancient Earth”, which was surprising but not unwelcome to see.
While these parts may have been difficult to read, I loved the way the book handled and addressed the deeper issues while also keeping them balanced with funny or heartwarming scenes.
Note: I do want to explain why I didn’t rate this book 5 stars, so I’d like to talk a little about my conflicted feelings towards the ending. Since this part is full of spoilers, I left it to the end.
First of all, I kind of felt Marco would end up betraying them pretty early on, and I also started suspecting that he was neurodivergent before it was revealed. I have to admit that when it was revealed, I felt really conflicted about making the traitor/villain be the only other neurodivergent person in the universe. I understood that the book was trying to subvert the trope of the mentally ill villain, but (at least originally) I didn’t feel like it did a convincing job. Still, later Xandri outright says that it wasn’t really his mental illness, but the torture he suffered because of it that lead him to be exploited. I still have some conflicting feelings about this, but I ended up accepting it.
I also understand that Xandri getting fired was necessary both to set up the sequel and to show the horrible ableism of this world, but – I still didn’t like it. The ableism was already clear, and more importantly, why the hell is mar’Odera still on the Council? He was nearly exposed as a saboteur, the other Council members grew distrustful of him, and then– the next time we see the Council, he’s still there, and a deciding person in the vote? It honestly just felt strange.
My rating: 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿/5.
LGBTQAI+: Xandri, the protagonist is bisexual and polyamorous, and there is also at least one sapphic side character/potential LI.
Sex on page: No
I have seen several people recommend this book on Twitter as an amazing indie book with an #ownvoices autistic protagonist, and I was not disappointed. Failure to Communicate was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to read the sequel (not to mention the beautiful covers for both books).
Xandri was a detailed, three-dimensional protagonist who was easy to get attached to. I loved reading about the way she perceived patterns, people and the world, and I also loved the ways in which she was unique – for example, that nobody else thought to make friends with the ship’s AI. I also loved the many, many different alien species that were hard to keep track of at first, but once I got used to it I appreciated the thought and worldbuilding that went into making many unique species.
One of my favourite tropes in sci-fi on spaceships is the crew as family, and that really shone through here. While they had their disagreements and tension, Xandri’s crew held together, and they were especially ride-or-die for her. I loved the way most of them kept her needs in mind and helped her cope without making her feel like a burden, and how they (especially Diver) went out of their way to defend her.
This book also had mention of polyamorous communities, as well as a budding polyamorous relationship between central characters, although it didn’t become official in this book. Still, I absolutely loved the dynamic between the three of them and I’m eager to see more.
Failure to Communicate also had themes that went much deeper than fluff between crew members. The blurb starts with naming Xandri as one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, and pretty early on the book explains the way people now engineer their children before birth to get rid of any irregularities or neurodivergency. In a way, autistic and mentally ill people were wiped out – not by killing them outright, but by not letting them be born at all. While the crew knows Xandri and supports her, there is much ableism from strangers and the society in general – some of it unintended. Since there are only a few autistic people are left, all most people have to go on are inaccurate, generalised texts that show them as cold and without emotions. The level of ableism in this society was often sickening, especially towards the end (and yes, I was disappointed by Christa reverting to ableist comments even at 96% in the ebook).
The book also addresses gun violence and gun control, not only through the Anmerilli but also by directly referencing 21st century “Ancient Earth”, which was surprising but not unwelcome to see.
While these parts may have been difficult to read, I loved the way the book handled and addressed the deeper issues while also keeping them balanced with funny or heartwarming scenes.
Note: I do want to explain why I didn’t rate this book 5 stars, so I’d like to talk a little about my conflicted feelings towards the ending. Since this part is full of spoilers, I left it to the end.
I also understand that Xandri getting fired was necessary both to set up the sequel and to show the horrible ableism of this world, but – I still didn’t like it. The ableism was already clear, and more importantly, why the hell is mar’Odera still on the Council? He was nearly exposed as a saboteur, the other Council members grew distrustful of him, and then– the next time we see the Council, he’s still there, and a deciding person in the vote? It honestly just felt strange.
My rating: 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿/5.
I loved Failure to Communicate so much that I rushed to pick up the prequel and read it in one sitting.
I couldn't have enough of the crew in FTC, especially Xandri, Diver and Chui, so this was great. Testing Pandora describes Xandri's joining of the crew, and the it has the exact same characters. It was nice to notice things that were similar in the two books, like Aki and the Captain being protective of Xandri and nudging her to eat.
On the other hand, in some ways this novella felt /too/ similar. After all, four years passed between Testing Pandora and Failure to Communicate - and yet, to me it felt like many of these relationships barely changed in those for years. For example, Christa and Xandri have the exact same rivalry they do four years later. This was a little strange, and I would have love to see more progression/change.
Also - tests or not, but I was surprised that Xandri was immediately offered to be the leader of the team instead of working her way up during those four years. In this situation, I understood Christa's anger better - I'd be pissed too if I had been doing my job well for years and the Captain brought in someone without any experience or formal education to be my boss, no matter how good Xandri did on that one test mission.
Another thing that was strange to me in both books is that literally everyone somehow seems to know Xandri is autistic, even without her telling them? Like, she worries about Diver finding out for example, but then we see in the interlude that Diver already knows. I wasn't sure what to do with that, or how he found out. This is especially strange given that autistics are even rarer here than in the "real" world.
There were several hints and references to the things Xandri had to do or survive, and the abuse she suffered - and while I don't wish to read about these in great detail, I still feel like it would have been interesting if there was a pre-prequel set even further back.
tldr; I loved this story and I loved getting more time with the crew, but it felt less like a prequel, and more like... the beginning of Failure to Communicate. I didn't really feel that there were supposed to be four years between the two books. (As far as I know, this was actually written before FTC, which would explain some of these things... but still, in that case I'm not sure why the author set the book four years later instead of just continuing this one.)
(By the way: two books, and I'm ashamed to confess at this point, but I still don't understand how slingspace works.)
I couldn't have enough of the crew in FTC, especially Xandri, Diver and Chui, so this was great. Testing Pandora describes Xandri's joining of the crew, and the it has the exact same characters. It was nice to notice things that were similar in the two books, like Aki and the Captain being protective of Xandri and nudging her to eat.
On the other hand, in some ways this novella felt /too/ similar. After all, four years passed between Testing Pandora and Failure to Communicate - and yet, to me it felt like many of these relationships barely changed in those for years. For example, Christa and Xandri have the exact same rivalry they do four years later. This was a little strange, and I would have love to see more progression/change.
Also - tests or not, but I was surprised that Xandri was immediately offered to be the leader of the team instead of working her way up during those four years. In this situation, I understood Christa's anger better - I'd be pissed too if I had been doing my job well for years and the Captain brought in someone without any experience or formal education to be my boss, no matter how good Xandri did on that one test mission.
Another thing that was strange to me in both books is that literally everyone somehow seems to know Xandri is autistic, even without her telling them? Like, she worries about Diver finding out for example, but then we see in the interlude that Diver already knows. I wasn't sure what to do with that, or how he found out. This is especially strange given that autistics are even rarer here than in the "real" world.
There were several hints and references to the things Xandri had to do or survive, and the abuse she suffered - and while I don't wish to read about these in great detail, I still feel like it would have been interesting if there was a pre-prequel set even further back.
tldr; I loved this story and I loved getting more time with the crew, but it felt less like a prequel, and more like... the beginning of Failure to Communicate. I didn't really feel that there were supposed to be four years between the two books. (As far as I know, this was actually written before FTC, which would explain some of these things... but still, in that case I'm not sure why the author set the book four years later instead of just continuing this one.)
(By the way: two books, and I'm ashamed to confess at this point, but I still don't understand how slingspace works.)
(I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read on my blog.
But this wasn’t a kiss like any other; because by the time they both needed to breathe, by the time Peter’s hands were completely wound in Mir’s hair and Mir’s hands were thoroughly occupied with holding Peter at the hips, they both realized that they’d taken flight.
This was a lovely queer retelling of Peter Pan where Peter is trans, the main love interest is nonbinary (with they/them pronouns), "Wendy" and Tinker Bell are both sapphic, and "Captain Hook" is another one of their friends.
I loved the little intermissions (Tinker Bell's "thoughts") and the concept of Neverland as a virtual reality island. I also loved how so many parts of the original story, like Tinker Bell's chiming or James's hook was translated into this new world.
This story is less than 100 pages, and while some parts fell a little flat, I ended up loving it by the end. It also ends with one m/m/nb and one f/f relationship, which made my heart really happy.
Note: There are two comments in the early chapters where strangers misgender Peter based on his appearance, but thankfully this doesn't happen later. There is also one sentence where I got a little confused, but I think he/him pronouns were used for Mir because it doesn't make sense if the sentence was referring to someone else? I'm inclined to believe this was a typo/one-time mistake though because Mir's pronouns are otherwise respected everywhere else.
The author is also nonbinary using they/them pronouns, so this is #ownvoices for nonbinary rep.
Read on my blog.
But this wasn’t a kiss like any other; because by the time they both needed to breathe, by the time Peter’s hands were completely wound in Mir’s hair and Mir’s hands were thoroughly occupied with holding Peter at the hips, they both realized that they’d taken flight.
This was a lovely queer retelling of Peter Pan where Peter is trans, the main love interest is nonbinary (with they/them pronouns), "Wendy" and Tinker Bell are both sapphic, and "Captain Hook" is another one of their friends.
I loved the little intermissions (Tinker Bell's "thoughts") and the concept of Neverland as a virtual reality island. I also loved how so many parts of the original story, like Tinker Bell's chiming or James's hook was translated into this new world.
This story is less than 100 pages, and while some parts fell a little flat, I ended up loving it by the end. It also ends with one m/m/nb and one f/f relationship, which made my heart really happy.
Note: There are two comments in the early chapters where strangers misgender Peter based on his appearance, but thankfully this doesn't happen later. There is also one sentence where I got a little confused, but I think he/him pronouns were used for Mir because it doesn't make sense if the sentence was referring to someone else? I'm inclined to believe this was a typo/one-time mistake though because Mir's pronouns are otherwise respected everywhere else.
The author is also nonbinary using they/them pronouns, so this is #ownvoices for nonbinary rep.
Read on my blog.
LGBTQAI+: Lesbian main character and love interest
Sex on page: Yes
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up this book because I needed a f/f workplace romance for a bingo. While the blurb (and sometimes the book) describes Kade as Jen’s boss, in the book they seemed to me more or less as equals, since they are both board members in Jen’s company.
I found most of the romantic scenes okay, but nothing too engaging. Strangely, I preferred the side plots (though these were still often connected to the two main characters and their relationship). Kade and Jen both have family members who are either sick or elderly, and there is a huge focus on how these people can be cared for and kept engaged instead of ignored. There is also discussion of the unfair expectations placed on women enterpreneurs in business, especially relating to their work/family balance.
I also loved Kade’s character development – throughout the book, she learns how to deal with her own guilt over losing her best friend, as well as her complicated relationship with her father. Partly due to Jen, she learns how to love herself and accept herself as somebody who deserves to be loved. This was one of my favourite themes in the book.
That being said, I often found the professional/work side… strange and. Obviously, some level of unprofessionalism in any workplace romance novel, but in this book the lack of professionalism went beyond Kade and Jen’s relationship. In this book, each main character conveniently works with her own best friend, and Jen talks casually to Kade’s assistant even at the beginning, and this assistant plays matchmaker for them by rearranging Kade’s schedule and cancelling/moving events constantly. While I understand how this was necessary and I enjoyed some of the banter between Kade-Holly and Jen-Jeremy, I still found it jarring.
Overall I’d give this book 3.5 stars, which is rounded up to 4.
LGBTQAI+: Lesbian main character and love interest
Sex on page: Yes
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I picked up this book because I needed a f/f workplace romance for a bingo. While the blurb (and sometimes the book) describes Kade as Jen’s boss, in the book they seemed to me more or less as equals, since they are both board members in Jen’s company.
I found most of the romantic scenes okay, but nothing too engaging. Strangely, I preferred the side plots (though these were still often connected to the two main characters and their relationship). Kade and Jen both have family members who are either sick or elderly, and there is a huge focus on how these people can be cared for and kept engaged instead of ignored. There is also discussion of the unfair expectations placed on women enterpreneurs in business, especially relating to their work/family balance.
I also loved Kade’s character development – throughout the book, she learns how to deal with her own guilt over losing her best friend, as well as her complicated relationship with her father. Partly due to Jen, she learns how to love herself and accept herself as somebody who deserves to be loved. This was one of my favourite themes in the book.
That being said, I often found the professional/work side… strange and. Obviously, some level of unprofessionalism in any workplace romance novel, but in this book the lack of professionalism went beyond Kade and Jen’s relationship. In this book, each main character conveniently works with her own best friend, and Jen talks casually to Kade’s assistant even at the beginning, and this assistant plays matchmaker for them by rearranging Kade’s schedule and cancelling/moving events constantly. While I understand how this was necessary and I enjoyed some of the banter between Kade-Holly and Jen-Jeremy, I still found it jarring.
Overall I’d give this book 3.5 stars, which is rounded up to 4.
... Huh?
I enjoyed this story, the worldbuilding and the characters, but I also felt like everything happened way too fast. I suppose that is understandable, given the number of pages, but it still left me with a confused feeling and I wish some parts were elaborated more, or given more time to progress.
Still, this was an awesome Snow White retelling with dragons and technology in one world. I loved the dragons and the magic surrounding them, and I loved the ending of the story as well.
I enjoyed this story, the worldbuilding and the characters, but I also felt like everything happened way too fast. I suppose that is understandable, given the number of pages, but it still left me with a confused feeling and I wish some parts were elaborated more, or given more time to progress.
Still, this was an awesome Snow White retelling with dragons and technology in one world. I loved the dragons and the magic surrounding them, and I loved the ending of the story as well.