theravenkingx's Reviews (336)

Fun, amusing, full of mean dolphins and cat saviors.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s the kind of book that you want to curl up with and read until you finish it. It’s a hilarious but not dumb; action-packed but not violent. It takes you into a quirky and colorful world of villains and heroes. This book would make a great movie starring Ryan Reynolds, who would be perfect for the role of Charlie. I hope it happens soon.

Synopsis
In this book we follow a guy named Charlie, a former journalist, who is currently working as a substitute teacher. Charlie’s life changes when his estranged uncle dies, and he is invited to take over his supervillain empire. When his uncle’s enemy, threatened by the existence of an heir, burn down his house he is left feeling dejected and tormented by the turn of events. Soon he discovers that his cat is not just a cat but a genetically enhanced super intelligent spy who was tasked by Charlie’s uncle to protect him. The cat conveniently also happens to own a house where Charlie takes refuge. He then discovers a big conspiracy, mean dolphins who are on strike due to unfair labor practices at his uncle’s lair, and a rival villain who wants to manipulate Charlie and Rob him off his inheritance. Charlie must decide whether to follow his uncle’s footsteps and become a villain, or to use his skills and resources to stop the evil plot and save the day.

This book is a hilarious and action-packed adventure that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. The author does a great job of creating a fun and colorful world where villains are not always bad and heroes are not always good. The characters are well-developed and relatable, especially Charlie, who struggles with his identity and morality. The plot is full of twists and turns, and the humor is witty and clever. If you are looking for a fun and original read, you will love starter villain.

You won’t regret reading this book, especially if you love talking dolphins who are on strike, and cats who are more than meets the eye. This book is full of humor, action, and surprises that will keep you entertained.

This book touched my heart with its tender story. The octopus was a delightful character who stole the show. I enjoyed his witty and wise personality. I was ready to give this book a high rating, but it lost some of its charm as it went on. It was one of those books where the reader figures out the plot before the characters do. It made me impatient to get to the conclusion.

The mystery unraveled at 70% and the remaining 30% dragged on as the characters tried to catch up with reader’s insight.

4.75 stars ★★★★★

Haunting, harrowing and wynorffic.

Synopsis
Prophet song is a story of a woman named Eillish, a scientist and a mother of four, living in Ireland under an authoritarian regime. The regime has been in power for a few years and is imposing control in a life-altering way. Eillish’s life changes when one day her husband, Larry, is taken by GNSB (The Garda National Service Bureau), the regime’s secret police, for protesting against the government. She is left alone to fend for herself, her father with dementia, and her kids. But as the regime grows in power, the rebels grow in number too. The country descends into civil war and faces a terrible choice: to stay and fight, or to flee and survive.

The novel is written in a distinctive style, with no paragraph breaks, creating a sense of urgency and claustrophobia. The prose is very poetic and beautiful. The book is well-written and thought-provoking, with a clever use of metaphors and symbolism. I like the biblical reference of worms that pointed towards eternal hell, the dying and withering cherry tree highlighting the end, the white ribbons symbolizing hope. The character’s gesture of tying white ribbons to the cherry tree stops as the family loses hope and courage and succumbs to fear. It’s a subtle but powerful symbol in the story that foreshadows the upcoming events. It’s never mentioned, but it’s a poetic and crucial moment.

I also acknowledge the criticism that this book has received, as I am aware that there are people who are suffering and living in far worse conditions than the ones depicted in this book. My heart goes out to the people in Palestine who are witnessing the worst genocide this world has ever seen. But suffering is not a competition, and we should not dismiss those who are in less pain.

This book does a great job of arousing human emotions, which should lead to more empathy and positive action for what is going on in the world right now. I personally think this book does a good job of highlighting the possible difficulties of living under such dire circumstances for people who have had nothing but a privileged life.

I, who have never lived under an authoritarian government or war, are horrified and saddened by the gut-wrenching story of the Prophet song. It’s raw and heartbreaking.

The author chooses not to portray the cruelty in a realistic manner, because the actual extent of human brutality is far beyond what he depicts in the story. Nevertheless, some scenes are still unsettling and distressing to read. And In a way I am grateful that the author refrains from making the story excessively dark.

My wish is that this book helps whomever reads it to become a more compassionate and understanding person.

Humanity above all else.


"it is vanity to think the world will end during your lifetime in some sudden event, that what ends is your life and only your life, that what is sung by the prophets is but the same song sung across time, the coming of the sword, the world devoured by fire, the sun gone down into the earth at noon and the world cast in darkness, the fury of some god incarnate in the mouth of the prophet raging at the wickedness that will be cast out of sight, and the prophet sings not of the end of the world but of what has been done and what will be done and what is being done to some but not others, that the world is always ending over and over again in one place but not another and that the end of the world is always a local event, it comes to your country and visits your town and knocks on the door of your house and becomes to others but some distant warning, a brief report on the news, an echo of events that has passed into folklore."

This book is a hot pile of garbage. I don't understand the hype, I don't understand the 5 star reviews. This is the worst thriller I have read in my entire life. It's not only poorly written and constructed thriller but also has at least a dozen loop holes that I will be discussing later in the review. Watch out for the warning, if you don't want get spoiled.

Synopsis
The Housemaid is a psychological thriller that follows Millie Calloway, a young woman with a criminal past, who becomes a housekeeper for a wealthy family with dark secrets. Millie is desperate and tries her absolute best to keep her employment, but Nina, the wife of her employer, is a difficult woman to please. Some may say she is mentally unstable, but is that really the case?

The only good thing about this book is the pacing. It is so fast-paced that I finished it in two days. The chapters are really short and give the satisfaction of completing them quickly. The story and writing were good enough to keep me interested, but they were highly predictable and not without their flaws. On several occasions, I wanted to slam the book at the wall for all the absurdity and stupidity that the author was able to cram into this short book. Characters are poorly written. They change their personalities like chameleons, so much so that by the time we reach the climax,  they are completely unrecognizable from their original selves. The plot holes are greater than the amount of cheese in Swiss cheese factory. And every single plot twist is predictable.

I have many issues with this book. First of all, I am tired of the trope of unreliable narrators in thriller books and predictable plot lines. How many times can a person read a story where the husband/man is an abusive and horny villain who preys on young women?

The book also has many plot holes and inconsistencies that make it unbelievable and frustrating. For example, there is an attic in the book where the husband locks his wife to punish her. The author describes the attic as having a bathroom, but then makes the prisoner use a bucket to pee. Why would the author do that? Am I missing something?

There is also a camera in the attic that the husband uses to spy on his prisoners, but none of them ever tries to find it and destroy it. And why would the husband show the prisoner the approximate location of the camera if he plans to lock her again and again? The husband also clears the room before locking the main character, but conveniently forgets to check the bucket where his wife has hidden pepper spray for Millie to find. How convenient! 

And Millie, who was so naive and stupid, suddenly becomes a sadistic killer who tortures the guy to death. She knows she is on parole, but she does not call the police or Nina. 

And Enzo and Nina? That was just gross and unnecessary.

The husband punishes Nina for things as petty as the visible dark roots, but then Nina suddenly defies every rule without consequence. This makes no sense and undermines the credibility of the story. 😬

Suffice to say, I won't be continuing the series. If you are looking for a good thriller book than don't read this one.

What an epic conclusion to a brilliant series. It all came together so well in end. I couldn't have asked for a better ending than this. It was satisfying, shocking, and emotional.

The book picks up where Golden Son left off, with Darrow captured by the Jackal and the rebellion in disarray. Darrow has to face his enemies, his allies, and himself in a final showdown that will decide the fate of the solar system. 

Morning Star is brutal, bloody and full of political intrigue. The plot is masterfully  contrived. There is nothing that seem forced. Darrow's character development is one of the best I have seen. He appeared a bit sanctimonious in Golden Son but the author humbles him real good in this book. Darrow is a more realistic and believable character now.

Brown has created a rich and immersive world, with vivid descriptions and inventive details. His writing style is fast-paced, gripping, and lyrical. He uses metaphors, similes, and allusions to enhance the mood and the meaning of the story. The best part is he doesn't shy away from hurting and killing off his characters. 

I would give this book 5 stars out of 5 and recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi, fantasy, or adventure. It is a thrilling and captivating read that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer.

The art of business by Greg Clyde's dale is fraught with knowledge and history of China and its commercial activities. It's a great book to learn how China became one of the richest countries in the world. The Art of Business challenges the common belief that China’s commercial success is based on Sun Tzu’s <i>The Art of War</i>. Instead, the author explores the complex and long history of China’s economic development. He shows how China benefited from the Silk Road, which connected it to Asia, Europe, and Africa, and the Grand Canal, which enabled trade within China. These trade routes allowed Chinese merchants to take advantage of price differences in different regions (arbitrage). Having read <i>Babel</i> by R.F. Kuang and <i>Money by Jacob Goldstein</i>, I already knew much of what this book taught me about China. It amazed me how much insight those books gave me into the history and culture of China. 

This book provides a great insight into China’s complex commercial journey, the influence of which is still evident in how China operates its business operations.

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According to this book most of China's success came from building sophisticated trade routes, specialization, backward integration, honest business practices, mass production, and cultivating business relationships. When West was fighting it's religious wars China was making discovering the art of business. West of course tried to tame China and forced it to buy opium in exchange for China's silk, porcelain, and other quality products. This led to Opium War which changed the entire trajectory of China's economic development. It placed China in a complicated situation and forced it to sign unequal treaties that granted favourable trade concessions and territorial cessions to the West. China eventually had to think beyond family-owned businesses and modernize its commercial practices. 

China was ahead of its time. They were using sophisticated and modern techniques like assembly line, debt investment, wholesale, etc when such concepts were outworldly to an average businessman.

However, China’s commerce was not always supported by its culture and politics. China was influenced by the philosophy of Confucianism, which emphasized trust (xin), social harmony, wisdom (zhi), humanity (ren), and righteousness (yi). While these values were admirable, they were not conducive to business. Confucianism discouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, as it valued stability, tradition, and conformity over change, creativity, profit, and individualism.

China's commercial activities reached their peak during Tang and Song dynasties, when, for the very first time, commerce was seen as respectable and important occupation, unlike their predecessors who considered merchants greedy and lowly. It was the time when restrictions placed on commerce was lifted up, trade was being encouraged, and poll and corvée taxes were being exempted. China became the first country to introduce coins for trade during this time.

The Mongols promoted trade even further by unifying China and establishing a sophisticated communication system along the Silk Road. They achieved this by creating relay stations where couriers could rest, change horses, and deliver or receive messages. This allowed China to absorb new technologies and ideas from other civilizations, and contributed to their discoveries of gunpowder, the art of printing, and their own ocean-going capabilities inspired by Arabs and Indians.

When Mongols were overthrown by the Ming dynasty in 1368, China witnessed a regression of it's economic development. The Ming dynasty restored the old Confucianist philosophy to China and relegated merchants to a lowly status. They also banned the use of coins. However, after Great Canal was repaired China's economy experienced another boost. This time confucianism played a vital role in establishing business ethics and values. The concept of philanthropy, quality, customer service, and honest dealing with customers became part of the China's business world. However, confucianism kept China from achieving its full potential. It's evident from the fact that Chinese who migrated outside China ended up becoming more successful and wealthier. Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia is one of the largest and oldest in the world, with over 50 million people of Chinese origin living in the region. They have played a significant role in the trade, commerce, and industry of Southeast Asia for centuries, and have adapted to the local cultures and politics of their host countries.

The final chapter discusses china's need to modernize, and limiting its military activities in south China.

This book is full of information and very accessible and readable. A must read. Highly recommended.

Yellowface is a quick and entertaining read, that is fraught with important issues of copyright, racism, and cultural appropriation in a lighthearted and satirical way.

R.F Kuang is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors. Yellowface is not as strong as her other book <i>Babel</i>, but it is still very absorbing and thought provoking. The way Kuang blends real issues in her work of fiction without undermining their significance is a testament to her art. 

The main character: June, is written to be unlikable and is quite "unhinged" when it comes to stealing and covering her backside. Despite her being unlikable, her point of view is utterly fun to read. We follow June's journey as it becomes smorgasbord of lies and deception, and slowly drives her into a crazy lady who is ready to sacrifice anything to be the center of attention. She is hard to relate to, but we have all met someone like her in our lives. This book, for the first time, shows us the inner workings of a racist Karen's brain and how they justify their actions.

The exploration of the prospect of a writing career and how the publishing industry operates is a fascinating discovery for me. Kuang does a good job of highlighting the mountainous challenges and difficulties writers have to climb to achieve publication and success for their books.

The issues discussed in this book are definitely important and relevant, but the way Kuang handled them left me unsatisfied. I understand this book is a satire, but I really wanted her to explore the issues raised more deeply and seriously beyond the intertextual references and metafictional characters of the book. She raises a valid question about whether writers should be  pigeonholed based on their race, but she doesn't delve deeper into the topic.

Overall, Yellowface exposes the hypocrisy and racism of publishing industry and society at large. It's well written and deserve the popularity it has recieved. A must read.

5 stars ★★★★★ and a place in my all-time favorites

Babel is a modern masterpiece. Unfortunately, the themes it covers are still relevant today. The book tackle the issues of race, language, and colonialism. It is set in a world where British Empire uses silver magic and translation to colonize and subjugate other cultures.

The story follows Robin Swift, a Chinese boy who is adopted by a Babel professor and trained to become a translator and a silver-worker, a magician who can manipulate the meaning lost in translation. Robin soon realizes that his academic work serves the imperial interests of Britain, and he faces a dilemma: should he join the Hermes Society, a secret group that opposes the empire, or should he remain loyal to Babel and his adoptive father? Things get more complicated when he discovers British Empire's intend of colonizing China over opium.

 Kuang masterfully blends historical Fiction and fantasy to create a world that is rich and immersive. The book is well researched and truthfully depicts the conflicts and atrocities of the 19th century, industrial revolution and the true reason behind abolishing slavery. She challenges the reader to reflect on the role of language and culture in shaping the identity and reality, and how they can be used as a tool of domination of resistance. The book is commentary on the issues of racism, white supremacy, and greed that plagues our world even today. 

Kuang also reveals how wars have different and unequal imapact on white and non-white people. Unfortunately, it still holds true. America has been at war for decades but the lives of her people are improving while the countries she is bombing is deteriorating and disappearing. Same can be said about the current genocide happening in Palestine. Colonialism and Racism hasn't ended. Governments have just become good at manipulating the world view and censoring opnion of marginalized communities. They don't colonize entire countries anymore they just buy the governments and keep them under control with the burden of debts.White people have been rationalizing and glorifying their wars as noble and heroic causes. On the other hand, people of color bear the brunt of the violence and devastation of wars, and are often dehumanized and demonized as enemies or savages. They have to fight not only for their survival, but also for their dignity and freedom. Their fight, however, is considered an act of terrorism instead of what it is: resistance. More often then not the goal of these wars is not defense but to enslave people and exploit their resources. 

As Kuang shows, racism and white supremacy are not just about individual hatred or prejudice, but also about systemic and institutional structures that favor and privilege the white group over others. These structures create and maintain racial hierarchies and inequalities, and justify violence and exploitation against nonwhite people. They also foster resentment and fear among white people who perceive any challenge to their supremacy as a threat to their way of life. Kuang exposes the hypocrisy and cruelty of the British Empire, which claims to bring civilization and enlightenment to the world, but in fact destroys and enslaves the cultures and peoples it encounters. 

 
This line resonated with me deeply. I agree that the root of the problem is the lack of compassion for those who are different from us. If we stand up for each other, we can end tyranny and bring peace to the world. The book also explores how our feelings about violence, wars, and genocide depend on our proximity to them and how they affect us. People tend to be indifferent if their own well-being and interests are not at stake. Kuang proposes that the only way to stop war and violence is to hurt the oppressor where it matters. That is why boycotting is important, because it causes losses and makes them less likely to continue. However, this strategy does not always work. Often, they are willing to endure losses and sacrifice their own people, or they find other ways to finance their war. Since the war on Palestine has started IMF is giving more loans to underdeveloped countries with higher returns to fund this war. It is sickening and maddening. 

Slavery was abolished not because white people saw the light but because, it had become less profitable and growing resistance was creating a threat. 

Kuang has created characters that are relatable and real. My favorite characters in the book are Ramy and Victoire. I really love seeing positive Muslim representation in books because we don't get enough of them. Ramy for this reason is my favorite. I really enjoyed the friendship of our main characters and their development. 

Babel is a powerful and provocative novel that challenges the reader to question the assumptions and narratives that shape our world and our history. It is a novel that speaks to our present and our future, and urges us to confront and resist the forces of racism and white supremacy that threaten our humanity. It is a novel that deserves to be read and praised by all.