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sunflower_fantasy's reviews
58 reviews
A fun first instalment that brings together themes of gender identity, friendship, and Mexican gods/folklore.
Pros
• beautiful worldbuilding
• solar punk features
• interesting gods and magic systems
• good lore
• well written disabled characters
• diverse bodies & beauty standards represented
Cons
• super “young adult”
• characters aren’t relatable as they’re so young
• some elements were misplaced for a fantasy novel, such as use of mobile phones & testosterone injections. These felt too close to reality & I would’ve liked them to feel a bit more fantastical for a world with dioses and semidioses
Would highly recommend for someone younger especially
Pros
• beautiful worldbuilding
• solar punk features
• interesting gods and magic systems
• good lore
• well written disabled characters
• diverse bodies & beauty standards represented
Cons
• super “young adult”
• characters aren’t relatable as they’re so young
• some elements were misplaced for a fantasy novel, such as use of mobile phones & testosterone injections. These felt too close to reality & I would’ve liked them to feel a bit more fantastical for a world with dioses and semidioses
Would highly recommend for someone younger especially
I enjoyed these stories! Some a lot more than others. They showcased the diversity of Hopkinson’s skill at sci-fi & fantasy stories.
Only giving 3.5 because they weren’t as gripping for me as Hopkinson’s novels, but I think that’s just because I prefer her longer form stories.
Patsy is one of the best books I've read this year. It tells the story of a mother, Patsy, and her daughter, Tru, as they search for themselves in a world that tells them who they should be and where they're allowed to exist.
When Patsy leaves Jamaica for New York at age twenty-eight, to rekindle her love with her childhood friend, Cicely, she leaves five year old Tru behind. The novel weaves between the lives of Patsy and Tru as it captures the sonic rhythms of the streets of New York and the vibrancy of Jamaican life. It addresses love and its requirements, race and diaspora, survival and immigration, the rigidity of gender and sexuality, and the search for self in a world that defines and confines.
1 really thought this was a beautiful book. I laughed and cried (cos I'm a softy) throughout and I was gripped by the sounds and imagery captured in Dennis-Benn's writing. It's one of those books that I was excited to keep picking up. The characters are complex, flawed, and in some ways undeserving of forgiveness, but this is what made me love it. I was disappointed by them, but always rooting for them. Worried for them, but had faith in them. Shocked by their decisions, but empathetic to the contexts in which those decisions were made.
I do think the ending was slightly rushed, but regardless of that I felt satisfied, and overall would definitely recommend! This has excited me to read more of Dennis-Benn's work.
4.5/5
DNF at 75% page 400.
Really loved the premise of this. But I felt it was too convoluted and I got so bored. Wasn’t a fan of the romance either.
Really loved the premise of this. But I felt it was too convoluted and I got so bored. Wasn’t a fan of the romance either.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A harrowing story that takes place upon a gigantic space ship structured vertically like the antebellum south. It includes themes of power, resistance, community, and order.
Pros: neurodivergent characters, gender queer and intersex characters are central.
Cons: there are many aspects to the plot I just didn’t understand, for example some key events aren’t returned to, or seem to have little consequence. I can’t visualise much of the ships layout or description so a map would have helped. The ending didn’t make sense to me.
Pros: neurodivergent characters, gender queer and intersex characters are central.
Cons: there are many aspects to the plot I just didn’t understand, for example some key events aren’t returned to, or seem to have little consequence. I can’t visualise much of the ships layout or description so a map would have helped. The ending didn’t make sense to me.
Confidence boosting with some great tips!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoy the stories that Ifueko tells and I think I’ll always be excited to journey into her worlds.
The Maid and the Crocodile is set in the Raybearer universe and this feels like a real treat as I adored that series. Set approximately a decade after the events of Redemptor, the novel explores some of the changes that have taken place in Oluwan City and reintroduces readers to some of our favourite characters at a different stage in their lives. It feels like a real gift for fans of the series. At the same time, this excitement and interest in “so, what happened next?” doesn’t overshadow the new story of Small Sade.
There were elements of this story I absolutely loved, including Sade’s spirit cleaning storyline, the depiction of her disability and how it impacts her life, and the introduction of a new Alagbato which helped flesh out the worldbuilding. However there were some parts that didn’t work as well for me, which included pacing and the revelation of the plot at specific points that felt a bit clunky at times, a non-compelling godly bond. Also the use of the second person point of view and revelation didn’t feel consistent for me.
The Maid and the Crocodile is set in the Raybearer universe and this feels like a real treat as I adored that series. Set approximately a decade after the events of Redemptor, the novel explores some of the changes that have taken place in Oluwan City and reintroduces readers to some of our favourite characters at a different stage in their lives. It feels like a real gift for fans of the series. At the same time, this excitement and interest in “so, what happened next?” doesn’t overshadow the new story of Small Sade.
There were elements of this story I absolutely loved, including Sade’s spirit cleaning storyline, the depiction of her disability and how it impacts her life, and the introduction of a new Alagbato which helped flesh out the worldbuilding. However there were some parts that didn’t work as well for me, which included pacing and the revelation of the plot at specific points that felt a bit clunky at times, a non-compelling godly bond. Also the use of the second person point of view and revelation didn’t feel consistent for me.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I want to start by saying that this book had one of my favourite ever openings, capturing such a gorgeous depiction of a small fictional town in Jamaica.
Augustown took me a little while to read as partway through I could feel myself becoming disenchanted by the plot. By the time I got half way through, I became fully immersed and engaged again. So much so it made me doubt my earlier feelings. Kei Miller tells a history of Jamaican politics over the course of one day. Spanning tales around myth, religion, class divides, and the subjugation of Rastafari. It’s a creative literary venture that showcases how one day encompasses all of history.
Pros:
• creative storytelling that plays with concept of time and memory
• centres rastafari in Jamaica
• portrays the underbelly of Jamaican society
Cons:
• not the best writing of Black woman characters
• a bit boring in some parts with long drawn out scenes
Augustown took me a little while to read as partway through I could feel myself becoming disenchanted by the plot. By the time I got half way through, I became fully immersed and engaged again. So much so it made me doubt my earlier feelings. Kei Miller tells a history of Jamaican politics over the course of one day. Spanning tales around myth, religion, class divides, and the subjugation of Rastafari. It’s a creative literary venture that showcases how one day encompasses all of history.
Pros:
• creative storytelling that plays with concept of time and memory
• centres rastafari in Jamaica
• portrays the underbelly of Jamaican society
Cons:
• not the best writing of Black woman characters
• a bit boring in some parts with long drawn out scenes