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Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
Now obviously the title and cover are what grabbed me attention for this one. I love me some assassins so I had to read this author's debut novel. This story follows Amastan who is training to be an assassin. However, he is unsure if he will be able to kill when the time comes. Life becomes difficult when he stumbles across the body of a clan leader that has been murdered. Then other assassins start being murdered. The uneasy spirits of the dead begin to gather in the city and are intent on harm. Amastan has to find the murderer before the fabric holding the city together breaks.
I thought overall that this was a solid book. It did feel like a YA title even though it doesn't seem to be marketed as such. I felt that the world building was the best part of the book. The city is set on a platform above a desert and water is scarce. I enjoyed the currency set around water. I enjoyed that women hold high positions in society. I liked the LGBTQ relationships. I thought the set-up of the murders was rather nice and intriguing. I also liked the jaani who are malevolent spirits of the dead.
In the end however, I did not like many of the plot points. Most of this stems from the identity of the killer which I saw from far away while hoping that I was wrong. I wasn't. So very sad and rather cliche. The murder mystery plot ended up being shoddy in terms of how it was solved. I also wished that the jaani played a more awesome role. How that problem was wrapped up was also lackluster.
I am glad I finished the book and I did enjoy it. Apparently there is a second book in the series even though this book reads as a standalone. The next book may be from a different point of view. I am not sure if the world building is strong enough for me to want to read it. That said, I am interested in the author's future work based on the solid foundation of this tale. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Now obviously the title and cover are what grabbed me attention for this one. I love me some assassins so I had to read this author's debut novel. This story follows Amastan who is training to be an assassin. However, he is unsure if he will be able to kill when the time comes. Life becomes difficult when he stumbles across the body of a clan leader that has been murdered. Then other assassins start being murdered. The uneasy spirits of the dead begin to gather in the city and are intent on harm. Amastan has to find the murderer before the fabric holding the city together breaks.
I thought overall that this was a solid book. It did feel like a YA title even though it doesn't seem to be marketed as such. I felt that the world building was the best part of the book. The city is set on a platform above a desert and water is scarce. I enjoyed the currency set around water. I enjoyed that women hold high positions in society. I liked the LGBTQ relationships. I thought the set-up of the murders was rather nice and intriguing. I also liked the jaani who are malevolent spirits of the dead.
In the end however, I did not like many of the plot points. Most of this stems from the identity of the killer which I saw from far away while hoping that I was wrong. I wasn't. So very sad and rather cliche. The murder mystery plot ended up being shoddy in terms of how it was solved. I also wished that the jaani played a more awesome role. How that problem was wrapped up was also lackluster.
I am glad I finished the book and I did enjoy it. Apparently there is a second book in the series even though this book reads as a standalone. The next book may be from a different point of view. I am not sure if the world building is strong enough for me to want to read it. That said, I am interested in the author's future work based on the solid foundation of this tale. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! So a recent theme for “Top Ten Tuesday” was “Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads.” I don’t tend to do memes here in me log but I love readin’ the posts by me crew. Especially when they be fun topics which lead me to unexpected treasures. One such gem was this delightful book recommended by Breanna @ paws&paperbacks. In her post she says:
"Okay, so this was just released . . . but I’m still including it because doesn’t even have five hundred ratings and it’s so freaking good. There was also hardly any hype over this book and it took me so long to find an ARC, that I really thought there were none out there. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an amazing fairytale retelling."
This is a retelling where the author drew inspiration from elements of Robin McKinley’s beauty, Edith Pattou’s east, and Diana Wynne Jones’ fire and hemlock. I have read McKinley’s retelling of the beauty and the beast tale and Pattou’s retelling of east of the sun, west of the moon. I remember loving both of them back in the day even if the details have grown fuzzy in noggin over time. And of course I love DWJ’s work even if I haven’t read that specific work or the tam lin story.
Side note: I quickly went and read a couple of versions of tam lin due to curiosity. It is odd but I love it.
I have to say that I thought this work was enchanting. Who wouldn’t want a young girl with an unusual and perhaps dangerous bond to a wolf, a magic house with hundreds of mysterious doors, a library with mirror books, spells, curses, and love-conquers-all? This is a slow burn fairy tale where it takes a while to settle in to the main thread of the story. Some plot points the reader guesses before the heroine. But the majority of the book is a lovely blend of several tales and I enjoyed watching it unfold.
Like some of the older versions of the fairy tales, there are negative consequences and old hurts that can’t be erased. Not everything is all sunshine and gaiety. I thought the mix of sad elements and hopefulness was well done. I especially loved the protagonist, Echo, and watching her grow into her own self. I loved the positive family relationships between Echo, her father, and her brother. And the ending was just unexpected and fantastic.
This novel only has about 800 ratings and 255 reviews on Goodreads. I am certainly glad to add another good review. I will be interested to see what other things the author will create. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
"Okay, so this was just released . . . but I’m still including it because doesn’t even have five hundred ratings and it’s so freaking good. There was also hardly any hype over this book and it took me so long to find an ARC, that I really thought there were none out there. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an amazing fairytale retelling."
This is a retelling where the author drew inspiration from elements of Robin McKinley’s beauty, Edith Pattou’s east, and Diana Wynne Jones’ fire and hemlock. I have read McKinley’s retelling of the beauty and the beast tale and Pattou’s retelling of east of the sun, west of the moon. I remember loving both of them back in the day even if the details have grown fuzzy in noggin over time. And of course I love DWJ’s work even if I haven’t read that specific work or the tam lin story.
Side note: I quickly went and read a couple of versions of tam lin due to curiosity. It is odd but I love it.
I have to say that I thought this work was enchanting. Who wouldn’t want a young girl with an unusual and perhaps dangerous bond to a wolf, a magic house with hundreds of mysterious doors, a library with mirror books, spells, curses, and love-conquers-all? This is a slow burn fairy tale where it takes a while to settle in to the main thread of the story. Some plot points the reader guesses before the heroine. But the majority of the book is a lovely blend of several tales and I enjoyed watching it unfold.
Like some of the older versions of the fairy tales, there are negative consequences and old hurts that can’t be erased. Not everything is all sunshine and gaiety. I thought the mix of sad elements and hopefulness was well done. I especially loved the protagonist, Echo, and watching her grow into her own self. I loved the positive family relationships between Echo, her father, and her brother. And the ending was just unexpected and fantastic.
This novel only has about 800 ratings and 255 reviews on Goodreads. I am certainly glad to add another good review. I will be interested to see what other things the author will create. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the first two books in the Imperials saga. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
So basically I have to review these books together because I literally read book one then picked up book two and read that as well. Seriously this series should have more love! The first book centers around the elite training academy of the Solar League. Okay so space training academies are rampant in sci-fi but the brilliance of this one is how the material is handled.
First of all ye follow two people from completely different backgrounds. Mercedes is the fairly spoiled daughter of the Emperor, and his heir, who is looking towards marriage. Only her father gives her an ultimatum that she must join the academy in preparation for ruling. The problem? Women are not part of the military. She will be the first. Mercedes has absolutely no interest and throws a temper tantrum. But her father and the needs of the country leave her no choice.
The other point of view is Tracy who comes from a working class background. His father is a tailor to the wealthy and wants Tracy to increase his station. Basically the only way out is to earn it and Tracy has been offered a scholarship to attend the academy. He doesn’t want to go and plans on refusing it. He hates the ruling elite and wants nothing to do with upper-class society. He wants to go to a regular university and manage his own future path. But familial duty weighs heavily as does his father’s expectations and sacrifices.
So of course they both end up going to the academy. Mercedes has to deal with being a female pioneer and the politics of her position. Tracy has to deal with internal prejudices and the intricacies of social status. Both end up wanting to tackle the challenge and thrive. But that’s not all! Add in aliens, action, and sabotage.
Besides being an entertaining book, there are also the larger pictures of racism and imperialism. The humans in this book have won control over all the alien races and have subjugated them. The society is highly stratified by class and position and gender. It harkens back to Spain in terms of culture and language. The politics seem more in line with modern American to this reader at least.
I absolutely loved the various alien cultures and want to learn a lot more about them. Also while there is romance in these novels, it doesn’t take center stage and certainly doesn’t go in the expected direction. As always, I love watching women make waves and succeed. Ultimately book one was wonderful and I loved every second.
So what about book two? Well here be spoiler territory and I will not ruin it. Let’s just say that the events of book two take place years after graduation when both Mercedes and Tracy have their assignments. One of the fascinating things is that the tone has shifted significantly. The first book dealt with coming-of-age stories filled with hope, learning, growth, and change. It felt that way. In the second installment, gone are the naive students and in place are adults reacting to the world around them and trying to influence it.
The scope of this novel is larger as well. The first book dealt with the years of training at the academy. The second spans a larger amount of time. And chaos is coming. This book is about setting up the larger conflict to come. But so much of this book is also about looking at changes in society and people as time passes. This is also book of consequences – large and small. I found both the character studies and the plot to be of equal interest. I loved the conflicts about found worlds. I loved the aliens. I love the set-up for the war to come. Ultimately I loved book two almost as much as book one!
Book three of the five books series is out now and I be planning on reading it. I wish I already had the entire series in me cabin. This be a good one so far and I recommend that the crew join me on this journey. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com
So basically I have to review these books together because I literally read book one then picked up book two and read that as well. Seriously this series should have more love! The first book centers around the elite training academy of the Solar League. Okay so space training academies are rampant in sci-fi but the brilliance of this one is how the material is handled.
First of all ye follow two people from completely different backgrounds. Mercedes is the fairly spoiled daughter of the Emperor, and his heir, who is looking towards marriage. Only her father gives her an ultimatum that she must join the academy in preparation for ruling. The problem? Women are not part of the military. She will be the first. Mercedes has absolutely no interest and throws a temper tantrum. But her father and the needs of the country leave her no choice.
The other point of view is Tracy who comes from a working class background. His father is a tailor to the wealthy and wants Tracy to increase his station. Basically the only way out is to earn it and Tracy has been offered a scholarship to attend the academy. He doesn’t want to go and plans on refusing it. He hates the ruling elite and wants nothing to do with upper-class society. He wants to go to a regular university and manage his own future path. But familial duty weighs heavily as does his father’s expectations and sacrifices.
So of course they both end up going to the academy. Mercedes has to deal with being a female pioneer and the politics of her position. Tracy has to deal with internal prejudices and the intricacies of social status. Both end up wanting to tackle the challenge and thrive. But that’s not all! Add in aliens, action, and sabotage.
Besides being an entertaining book, there are also the larger pictures of racism and imperialism. The humans in this book have won control over all the alien races and have subjugated them. The society is highly stratified by class and position and gender. It harkens back to Spain in terms of culture and language. The politics seem more in line with modern American to this reader at least.
I absolutely loved the various alien cultures and want to learn a lot more about them. Also while there is romance in these novels, it doesn’t take center stage and certainly doesn’t go in the expected direction. As always, I love watching women make waves and succeed. Ultimately book one was wonderful and I loved every second.
So what about book two? Well here be spoiler territory and I will not ruin it. Let’s just say that the events of book two take place years after graduation when both Mercedes and Tracy have their assignments. One of the fascinating things is that the tone has shifted significantly. The first book dealt with coming-of-age stories filled with hope, learning, growth, and change. It felt that way. In the second installment, gone are the naive students and in place are adults reacting to the world around them and trying to influence it.
The scope of this novel is larger as well. The first book dealt with the years of training at the academy. The second spans a larger amount of time. And chaos is coming. This book is about setting up the larger conflict to come. But so much of this book is also about looking at changes in society and people as time passes. This is also book of consequences – large and small. I found both the character studies and the plot to be of equal interest. I loved the conflicts about found worlds. I loved the aliens. I love the set-up for the war to come. Ultimately I loved book two almost as much as book one!
Book three of the five books series is out now and I be planning on reading it. I wish I already had the entire series in me cabin. This be a good one so far and I recommend that the crew join me on this journey. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the second and third books of the Emily the Strange series. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read book one and ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
Okay so back when I read book one I stated that “Emily is totally a kindred spirit for me and I am so glad I found her. I wish I would have found her sooner. This book is so funny and awesome. I knew it was for me just based on the cover.” Further reading only solidifies the point that Emily and I would be good friends if we both didn’t hate other people so much.
Book one was awesome and I loved the audiobook. Sadly I was not able to listen to these in audiobook format but I still loved them. While book one remains me favourite, book two was excellent because Emily accidentally duplicates herself. At first Emily thinks that having two of herself is great but slowly begins to question that belief. But how does she get rid of “OtherMe?” This book continues with the 13-bullet-point-lists, made up curse words, pranks, fabulous diary entries, and absolutely marvelous cats! Even though much of the plot was predictable, I just didn’t care. It made me happy. I love Emily’s change of heart concerning OtherMe and how mom handles the whole situation.
Book three was the weakest of the books so far but was silly fun nonetheless. In this one Emily is homeschooled by her mom. It involves time travel, meeting Emily’s ancestors, and epidemics, among other things. I love how Emily’s classes work out. I love Emily’s artwork. I enjoyed Emily’s shenanigans in the 1780s but too much of this book was Emily (and gang) waiting for things to happen. I wanted more of Emily taking charge. This book did, however, set up the last book in the series. I do need to know what happens next!
If ye haven’t met Emily and enjoy strange, quirky, and snarky characters then give this series a shot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Okay so back when I read book one I stated that “Emily is totally a kindred spirit for me and I am so glad I found her. I wish I would have found her sooner. This book is so funny and awesome. I knew it was for me just based on the cover.” Further reading only solidifies the point that Emily and I would be good friends if we both didn’t hate other people so much.
Book one was awesome and I loved the audiobook. Sadly I was not able to listen to these in audiobook format but I still loved them. While book one remains me favourite, book two was excellent because Emily accidentally duplicates herself. At first Emily thinks that having two of herself is great but slowly begins to question that belief. But how does she get rid of “OtherMe?” This book continues with the 13-bullet-point-lists, made up curse words, pranks, fabulous diary entries, and absolutely marvelous cats! Even though much of the plot was predictable, I just didn’t care. It made me happy. I love Emily’s change of heart concerning OtherMe and how mom handles the whole situation.
Book three was the weakest of the books so far but was silly fun nonetheless. In this one Emily is homeschooled by her mom. It involves time travel, meeting Emily’s ancestors, and epidemics, among other things. I love how Emily’s classes work out. I love Emily’s artwork. I enjoyed Emily’s shenanigans in the 1780s but too much of this book was Emily (and gang) waiting for things to happen. I wanted more of Emily taking charge. This book did, however, set up the last book in the series. I do need to know what happens next!
If ye haven’t met Emily and enjoy strange, quirky, and snarky characters then give this series a shot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the second and third books of the Emily the Strange series. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read book one and ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
Okay so back when I read book one I stated that “Emily is totally a kindred spirit for me and I am so glad I found her. I wish I would have found her sooner. This book is so funny and awesome. I knew it was for me just based on the cover.” Further reading only solidifies the point that Emily and I would be good friends if we both didn’t hate other people so much.
Book one was awesome and I loved the audiobook. Sadly I was not able to listen to these in audiobook format but I still loved them. While book one remains me favourite, book two was excellent because Emily accidentally duplicates herself. At first Emily thinks that having two of herself is great but slowly begins to question that belief. But how does she get rid of “OtherMe?” This book continues with the 13-bullet-point-lists, made up curse words, pranks, fabulous diary entries, and absolutely marvelous cats! Even though much of the plot was predictable, I just didn’t care. It made me happy. I love Emily’s change of heart concerning OtherMe and how mom handles the whole situation.
Book three was the weakest of the books so far but was silly fun nonetheless. In this one Emily is homeschooled by her mom. It involves time travel, meeting Emily’s ancestors, and epidemics, among other things. I love how Emily’s classes work out. I love Emily’s artwork. I enjoyed Emily’s shenanigans in the 1780s but too much of this book was Emily (and gang) waiting for things to happen. I wanted more of Emily taking charge. This book did, however, set up the last book in the series. I do need to know what happens next!
If ye haven’t met Emily and enjoy strange, quirky, and snarky characters then give this series a shot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Okay so back when I read book one I stated that “Emily is totally a kindred spirit for me and I am so glad I found her. I wish I would have found her sooner. This book is so funny and awesome. I knew it was for me just based on the cover.” Further reading only solidifies the point that Emily and I would be good friends if we both didn’t hate other people so much.
Book one was awesome and I loved the audiobook. Sadly I was not able to listen to these in audiobook format but I still loved them. While book one remains me favourite, book two was excellent because Emily accidentally duplicates herself. At first Emily thinks that having two of herself is great but slowly begins to question that belief. But how does she get rid of “OtherMe?” This book continues with the 13-bullet-point-lists, made up curse words, pranks, fabulous diary entries, and absolutely marvelous cats! Even though much of the plot was predictable, I just didn’t care. It made me happy. I love Emily’s change of heart concerning OtherMe and how mom handles the whole situation.
Book three was the weakest of the books so far but was silly fun nonetheless. In this one Emily is homeschooled by her mom. It involves time travel, meeting Emily’s ancestors, and epidemics, among other things. I love how Emily’s classes work out. I love Emily’s artwork. I enjoyed Emily’s shenanigans in the 1780s but too much of this book was Emily (and gang) waiting for things to happen. I wanted more of Emily taking charge. This book did, however, set up the last book in the series. I do need to know what happens next!
If ye haven’t met Emily and enjoy strange, quirky, and snarky characters then give this series a shot!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! It be no secret that Sarah @ brainfluff likes to increase me ports for plunder list by exponentially high amounts. And thank goodness because her awesome review led me to this amazing read. She said:
"I don’t know how Moreno-Garcia manages to worm her characters right into my inscape – I suspect she is a witch, whose books weave an enchantment. But I have yet to read anything of hers where I haven’t passionately cared about her world and the people in it. As for what happens to Atl and Domingo – you’ll have to read the book to find out. Even if you’re sick of reading vampire books, even if you’ve never read a vampire book, pick this one up and give it a go. It is every bit as beautiful and dark as that amazing cover."
I will admit that I thought I was sick of reading about vampires. I wasn’t. The true magic in this book involves the vampire culture and history and how it has affected human society as a whole. The world building is fantastic. This review won’t really do it justice. But that’s okay.
So imagine that in 1967 humans discover that not only are vampires real but they have been evolving over time. In fact there be at least 10 sub-species of vampire. Popular culture got a lot of facts wrong. Each group has its own customs, habits, traditions, politics, weaknesses, and powers. Despite these powers, humans still have the upper-hand due to their adaptibility and sheer numbers. Each country has dealt with vampires in different ways. But vampires have entered the mainstream and aren’t easy to exterminate.
One such vampire is Atl who is a member of the Tlāhuihpochtlin clan. They are natives of Mexico and are closely tied to the Aztec traditions. Problem is that they are in the midst of a turf battle with the Necros clan who originally hale from Central Europe. The Necros spurn the old ways and are trying to achieve dominance. Atl has fled from her family compound to Mexico City with the hope of escaping further into South America. The problem is that she is a spoiled younger daughter with no real sense of living outside her clan’s rigid and pampered society. She be in trouble.
Enter Domingo, a human, who makes his living trash-picking and lives in the margins. He runs into Atl in the subway and is surprised that she notices him. Atl wants a willing meal. Domingo wants money. But both end up in an unexpected partnership for survival.
Now while the world building is the highlight, the plot is also absolutely wonderful. It’s gritty, action-packed, and thoroughly engaging. I loved Atl as a character and wanted her to succeed even if she is selfish, very inhuman, and basically a bitch. I wanted sweet, loveable, naive Domingo to get the hell away from her and yet understood his desire to help Atl. The push and pull of the two of them was excellent fun. The gang-like interactions and mystery sections of Atl tracking down her family’s past were thrilling. And of course, learning about all the vampire clans along the way was delightful.
And the ending was unexpected yet perfect. This is me first Moreno-Garcia book but not me last. I highly recommend this to all of the crew. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
"I don’t know how Moreno-Garcia manages to worm her characters right into my inscape – I suspect she is a witch, whose books weave an enchantment. But I have yet to read anything of hers where I haven’t passionately cared about her world and the people in it. As for what happens to Atl and Domingo – you’ll have to read the book to find out. Even if you’re sick of reading vampire books, even if you’ve never read a vampire book, pick this one up and give it a go. It is every bit as beautiful and dark as that amazing cover."
I will admit that I thought I was sick of reading about vampires. I wasn’t. The true magic in this book involves the vampire culture and history and how it has affected human society as a whole. The world building is fantastic. This review won’t really do it justice. But that’s okay.
So imagine that in 1967 humans discover that not only are vampires real but they have been evolving over time. In fact there be at least 10 sub-species of vampire. Popular culture got a lot of facts wrong. Each group has its own customs, habits, traditions, politics, weaknesses, and powers. Despite these powers, humans still have the upper-hand due to their adaptibility and sheer numbers. Each country has dealt with vampires in different ways. But vampires have entered the mainstream and aren’t easy to exterminate.
One such vampire is Atl who is a member of the Tlāhuihpochtlin clan. They are natives of Mexico and are closely tied to the Aztec traditions. Problem is that they are in the midst of a turf battle with the Necros clan who originally hale from Central Europe. The Necros spurn the old ways and are trying to achieve dominance. Atl has fled from her family compound to Mexico City with the hope of escaping further into South America. The problem is that she is a spoiled younger daughter with no real sense of living outside her clan’s rigid and pampered society. She be in trouble.
Enter Domingo, a human, who makes his living trash-picking and lives in the margins. He runs into Atl in the subway and is surprised that she notices him. Atl wants a willing meal. Domingo wants money. But both end up in an unexpected partnership for survival.
Now while the world building is the highlight, the plot is also absolutely wonderful. It’s gritty, action-packed, and thoroughly engaging. I loved Atl as a character and wanted her to succeed even if she is selfish, very inhuman, and basically a bitch. I wanted sweet, loveable, naive Domingo to get the hell away from her and yet understood his desire to help Atl. The push and pull of the two of them was excellent fun. The gang-like interactions and mystery sections of Atl tracking down her family’s past were thrilling. And of course, learning about all the vampire clans along the way was delightful.
And the ending was unexpected yet perfect. This is me first Moreno-Garcia book but not me last. I highly recommend this to all of the crew. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys! This be the sixth book in me Ports for Plunder – 19 Books in 2019 list. I absolutely loved the author’s book when the moon was ours and so knew I had to read another of her works. I picked this one based on the pretty flowers on the cover. I fell in love yet again with this author’s talent, characters, and world.
This story follows the Nomeolvides cousins who live on the grounds of the La Pradera estate. Three generations of their family maintain the beautiful gardens that make the property famous. There is a problem – all of the women are cursed and La Pradera is both a gift and a prison.
Ye see the Nomeolvides are known as witches for the magic that allows them to call flowers to bloom. Each generation consists of 5 women and all possess the ability. Persecuted for this magic, the women were nomads and fled from place to place until they landed at the manor. In exchange for causing the barren land to bloom, they could stay. But in growing the garden, the land itself decided none of them could leave.
If that’s not bad enough, the cost of having magic means all of the Nomeolvides women are doomed to have broken hearts. Lovers leave or literally vanish into thin air. The youngest generation is hoping to break the curse and have the ability to explore the greater world. Despite all evidence to the contrary. So the five girls make an offering to the garden. In exchange, they unexpectedly get a boy who appears right out of the ground . . .
The most stirring part of this book is the emphasis on family. I loved every single member of the latest generation of Nomeolvides women. It is a complexly woven series of relationships. There is emphasis on food, love, and family history. The sheer imagery of the flowers and how they were woven throughout both the family and the novel was just amazingly beautiful.
In addition, I loved all the forms love takes in the story. There are the mother-daughter relationships, the varied responses to the mystery boy, the relationship between the cousins, and the relationships between the girls and their friend and landlord Bay. There are bisexual, heterosexual, and a lovely genderqueer character. There is family trauma and rivalry and watching people grow and change. There is beauty.
I am so very glad I read this book. Arrrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
This story follows the Nomeolvides cousins who live on the grounds of the La Pradera estate. Three generations of their family maintain the beautiful gardens that make the property famous. There is a problem – all of the women are cursed and La Pradera is both a gift and a prison.
Ye see the Nomeolvides are known as witches for the magic that allows them to call flowers to bloom. Each generation consists of 5 women and all possess the ability. Persecuted for this magic, the women were nomads and fled from place to place until they landed at the manor. In exchange for causing the barren land to bloom, they could stay. But in growing the garden, the land itself decided none of them could leave.
If that’s not bad enough, the cost of having magic means all of the Nomeolvides women are doomed to have broken hearts. Lovers leave or literally vanish into thin air. The youngest generation is hoping to break the curse and have the ability to explore the greater world. Despite all evidence to the contrary. So the five girls make an offering to the garden. In exchange, they unexpectedly get a boy who appears right out of the ground . . .
The most stirring part of this book is the emphasis on family. I loved every single member of the latest generation of Nomeolvides women. It is a complexly woven series of relationships. There is emphasis on food, love, and family history. The sheer imagery of the flowers and how they were woven throughout both the family and the novel was just amazingly beautiful.
In addition, I loved all the forms love takes in the story. There are the mother-daughter relationships, the varied responses to the mystery boy, the relationship between the cousins, and the relationships between the girls and their friend and landlord Bay. There are bisexual, heterosexual, and a lovely genderqueer character. There is family trauma and rivalry and watching people grow and change. There is beauty.
I am so very glad I read this book. Arrrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
Ahoy there me mateys!
I be a curious sort and so when I heard of Blogging for Books, I had to check it out. When looking at the books available for review, I was intrigued by the novel that won the Man Booker International Prize. Then I read the first line:
"Before my wife turned vegetarian, I'd always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way."
Sealed the deal an' I requested it. Request granted! That first line proved to be the start of a beautifully engaging novel.
This is the story of Yeong-hye and her descent into madness. Part 1, "The Vegetarian," is from the perspective of her husband. Part 2, "The Mongolian Mark," is from her brother-in-law. Her sister narrates Part 3, "Flaming Trees."
This book has been described as both "Kafkaesque" and "terrifying." It was not terrifying to me; just sad and completely engrossing. I could see the comparison to Kafka, in the descent into madness, of course. However the blurb would have ye think that the book is filled with gory images, torture, and perversion. I found the family trying to convince Yeong-hye to eat meat to be ineffectual, if persistent.
In fact, in Yeong-hye, madness seems almost to be calm and even controlled in how it progressed. The real madness was in how the family imploded because of the circumstances. Yeong-hye lives in her own world and her struggle is internal. Real yes. But from this reader's perspective, there is almost admiration for Yeong-hye's choice. And perhaps that is what could be terrifying to some - that madness can almost make sense if ye overlook the initial spark of insanity.
I recommend this novel for its beautiful writing and storytelling and only hope that you are as immersed into the tale as I was.
Side note: a special thanks to Teresa Quevedo who packaged the book that was sent to me :)
So lastly . . .
Thank you Hogarth - The Crown Publishing Group!
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
If ye liked this review, see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
I be a curious sort and so when I heard of Blogging for Books, I had to check it out. When looking at the books available for review, I was intrigued by the novel that won the Man Booker International Prize. Then I read the first line:
"Before my wife turned vegetarian, I'd always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way."
Sealed the deal an' I requested it. Request granted! That first line proved to be the start of a beautifully engaging novel.
This is the story of Yeong-hye and her descent into madness. Part 1, "The Vegetarian," is from the perspective of her husband. Part 2, "The Mongolian Mark," is from her brother-in-law. Her sister narrates Part 3, "Flaming Trees."
This book has been described as both "Kafkaesque" and "terrifying." It was not terrifying to me; just sad and completely engrossing. I could see the comparison to Kafka, in the descent into madness, of course. However the blurb would have ye think that the book is filled with gory images, torture, and perversion. I found the family trying to convince Yeong-hye to eat meat to be ineffectual, if persistent.
In fact, in Yeong-hye, madness seems almost to be calm and even controlled in how it progressed. The real madness was in how the family imploded because of the circumstances. Yeong-hye lives in her own world and her struggle is internal. Real yes. But from this reader's perspective, there is almost admiration for Yeong-hye's choice. And perhaps that is what could be terrifying to some - that madness can almost make sense if ye overlook the initial spark of insanity.
I recommend this novel for its beautiful writing and storytelling and only hope that you are as immersed into the tale as I was.
Side note: a special thanks to Teresa Quevedo who packaged the book that was sent to me :)
So lastly . . .
Thank you Hogarth - The Crown Publishing Group!
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
If ye liked this review, see me others at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/
