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tshepiso's Reviews (740)
As much as I attempt to suppress my inner hater whenever I read DC Ink/Zoom/YA graphic novels because I'm not the target audience I have to admit as someone who has read other stronger comic books for kids that Black Canary: Ignite is pretty weak in some areas.
The story follows Dinah Lance a middle schooler who dreams of one day following her dads footsteps and joining the GCPD despite his protests because she's passionate about helping people. But as random accidents begin to occur around her and mysterious threats show up at her school and home she soon discovers she's inherited her mother former vigilante Black Canary's canary cry.
My biggest problem with Black Canary: Ignite was its weak writing. Meg Cabot is a first time graphic novel writer and like with many in this line I can tell she's not entirely comfortable with this medium of storytelling. The dialogue especially was frequently overly on the nose and clunky. While naturalistic dialogue isn't necessary for good storytelling the direct and didactic nature of how all of the characters speak made for an awkward read.
The overall arc of the graphic novel was also a bit messy and rushed. Dinah deals with her principal marking her as a troublemaker, tension with her best friends/bandmates, arguments with her dad about wanting to be a cop, managing her burgeoning superpowers, school bullies and a supervillain trying to kill her. This story either needed to longer to better manage weaving in and out of these various plot threads or be streamlined because many of these beats fall flat as they are abruptly introduced and hastily wrapped up.
But despite some of its flaws this comic has its moments. As a Black Canary fan I noticed lots of big and small references woven throughout that demonstrate that the creative team was familiar with and deferent to Black Canary canon. From Dinah having a box of wigs in her basement to the family flower shop being bering called Sherwood Florists to Dinah training with Wildcat. These little nods were really endearing.
But even though the book was littered with fun easter eggs I couldn't help but be disappointed that left some opportunities on the table to engage with the legacy of the character. The most baffling choice the book makes is sidelining Dinah's relationship with her mother. She has big blow ups with her dad about wanting to be cop and is trained by Wildcat and a random choir teacher. But despite inheriting her mothers legacy the book devotes barely any of its page count on their relationship. This was especially disappointing for me because mainline DC continuity rarely has the chance to show these two interacting because Dinah's mom is dead so this could have been a perfect opportunity to tell a story other comics couldn't.
Overall I'd say Black Canary: Ignite isn't an essential read for adult fans of the character but if a 9 year old told me their favourite character was Black Canary I'd readily put this in their hands. In the context of the wider DC Zoom and Ink lines this certainly isn't the best but it wasn't bad either.
The story follows Dinah Lance a middle schooler who dreams of one day following her dads footsteps and joining the GCPD despite his protests because she's passionate about helping people. But as random accidents begin to occur around her and mysterious threats show up at her school and home she soon discovers she's inherited her mother former vigilante Black Canary's canary cry.
My biggest problem with Black Canary: Ignite was its weak writing. Meg Cabot is a first time graphic novel writer and like with many in this line I can tell she's not entirely comfortable with this medium of storytelling. The dialogue especially was frequently overly on the nose and clunky. While naturalistic dialogue isn't necessary for good storytelling the direct and didactic nature of how all of the characters speak made for an awkward read.
The overall arc of the graphic novel was also a bit messy and rushed. Dinah deals with her principal marking her as a troublemaker, tension with her best friends/bandmates, arguments with her dad about wanting to be a cop, managing her burgeoning superpowers, school bullies and a supervillain trying to kill her. This story either needed to longer to better manage weaving in and out of these various plot threads or be streamlined because many of these beats fall flat as they are abruptly introduced and hastily wrapped up.
But despite some of its flaws this comic has its moments. As a Black Canary fan I noticed lots of big and small references woven throughout that demonstrate that the creative team was familiar with and deferent to Black Canary canon. From Dinah having a box of wigs in her basement to the family flower shop being bering called Sherwood Florists to Dinah training with Wildcat. These little nods were really endearing.
But even though the book was littered with fun easter eggs I couldn't help but be disappointed that left some opportunities on the table to engage with the legacy of the character. The most baffling choice the book makes is sidelining Dinah's relationship with her mother. She has big blow ups with her dad about wanting to be cop and is trained by Wildcat and a random choir teacher. But despite inheriting her mothers legacy the book devotes barely any of its page count on their relationship. This was especially disappointing for me because mainline DC continuity rarely has the chance to show these two interacting because Dinah's mom is dead so this could have been a perfect opportunity to tell a story other comics couldn't.
Overall I'd say Black Canary: Ignite isn't an essential read for adult fans of the character but if a 9 year old told me their favourite character was Black Canary I'd readily put this in their hands. In the context of the wider DC Zoom and Ink lines this certainly isn't the best but it wasn't bad either.
The Death of Oracle marks the end of a era for the Birds of Prey. The final hurrah for the team before their permanent shake up in the New 52. And while its sad to say goodbye I'm happy to say this era ended on a high note.
In this volume the Calculator has recruited super-powered goons in hopes of taking down the Birds of Prey and kill Oracle. But Barbara has a plan to fake her own death to her nemesis and the wider superhero community and get back underground. This arc introduces some interesting new villains like Mortis, a woman with the power to project anyones deepest regrets with one touch. As with any good fear-power based villain this leads to some fascinating introspective moments for Dinah.
In this arc Gail Simone teases out the romantic tension between Huntress and former assassin and Secret Six member Catman. There were elements I liked about Catman and Huntress's dynamic here, I'll always be down for doomed superhero romances. However I think Simone leaned into the assumption that her readers were familiar with the context of the Secret Six in a way that left some of their interactions feeling a little shallow. For fans of both I'm sure this hit but as someone without the full context of Catman's tragic past it wasn't as impactful for me.
The last two issues of the volume sees Marc Andreyko take over as writer in a nostalgic throwback story featuring golden age heroes Phantom Lady the original Black Canary and Lady Blackhawk. As someone who has recently read a bunch of golden age Black Canary adventures and adores when comics engage with the concept of legacy heroes this two parter felt specially crafted for me. Throughout the story weave between Zinda, Dinah (Drake) and Sandra's 1950s spy mission and the present day as the Nazis they fought then rear their ugly heads again. This send up to the legacy of female superheroes felt so at home in a Birds of Prey comic.
I especially loved seeing Dinah interface with her own mother's legacy and Kate Spencer Lady Phantom's granddaughter and on and off Birds of prey member as Manhunter forging that connection with her own history. Sometimes rah-rah girl power stories read as insincere but this one genuinely hit my in my feelings.
So while I'm sad that this era of Birds of Prey is over I am happy to have been along for the ride.
In this volume the Calculator has recruited super-powered goons in hopes of taking down the Birds of Prey and kill Oracle. But Barbara has a plan to fake her own death to her nemesis and the wider superhero community and get back underground. This arc introduces some interesting new villains like Mortis, a woman with the power to project anyones deepest regrets with one touch. As with any good fear-power based villain this leads to some fascinating introspective moments for Dinah.
In this arc Gail Simone teases out the romantic tension between Huntress and former assassin and Secret Six member Catman. There were elements I liked about Catman and Huntress's dynamic here, I'll always be down for doomed superhero romances. However I think Simone leaned into the assumption that her readers were familiar with the context of the Secret Six in a way that left some of their interactions feeling a little shallow. For fans of both I'm sure this hit but as someone without the full context of Catman's tragic past it wasn't as impactful for me.
The last two issues of the volume sees Marc Andreyko take over as writer in a nostalgic throwback story featuring golden age heroes Phantom Lady the original Black Canary and Lady Blackhawk. As someone who has recently read a bunch of golden age Black Canary adventures and adores when comics engage with the concept of legacy heroes this two parter felt specially crafted for me. Throughout the story weave between Zinda, Dinah (Drake) and Sandra's 1950s spy mission and the present day as the Nazis they fought then rear their ugly heads again. This send up to the legacy of female superheroes felt so at home in a Birds of Prey comic.
I especially loved seeing Dinah interface with her own mother's legacy and Kate Spencer Lady Phantom's granddaughter and on and off Birds of prey member as Manhunter forging that connection with her own history. Sometimes rah-rah girl power stories read as insincere but this one genuinely hit my in my feelings.
So while I'm sad that this era of Birds of Prey is over I am happy to have been along for the ride.
I'm not gonna pull any punches here Hawkeye: Freefall was an infuriating read. I was really excited for this comic because I loved Matthew Rosenberg's Hawkeye and the Winter Solider but this this book could not be farther from that quality-wise.
What frustrates me most about Hawkeye: Freefall is how mischaracterized Clint is throughout. Rosenberg takes the concept that Clint being a hot mess, something most touched on in Matt Fraction's run of Hawkeye, and blows that up to the most illogical endpoint. Here Clint doesn't just have a messy personal life but is mind-numbingly incompetent as a superhero. He makes so many bafflingly bad choices in its hard to believe this version of the character has lead several superhero teams. The story sees Clint take on a low level crime boss, The Hood, by secretly taking up his old Ronan mantle. Why Clint does this while going to extreme lengths to hide it from everyone is never sufficiently explained. And the various idiotic plans he makes to maintain his double identity all blow up in his face spectacularly so what he gets from it is literally nothing.
Beyond Clint most of the writing and character choices throughout this book just seem lazy and derivative. In this comic Clint is dating Linda Carter aka Night Nurse but their relationship is painted with such a broad brush and lacks any nuance or specificity. Linda is just slotted into the nagging girlfriend role regardless of whether or not it make sense for her character. She's disapproving of Clint's superhero-ing despite the fact that she's literally a nurse for superheroes. And they break up for the most contrived reasons. It honestly felt like Rosenberg inserted romantic drama into the story because Clint is known to have a messy romantic life but never considered if it actually served the story or made sense.
This shallow character writing extends to the way the various Avengers and superhero allies Clint encounters throughout are written. Almost all of them are extremely distrustful of Clint even when given no reason to be and are also extremely hostile to him for no reason. These are all people Clint has known and worked with for years but instantly assume Clint would become a serial murderer unprompted. I think Rosenberg was attempting to emphasize Clint as an underdog by having everyone against him but the writing choice (like every other one in this book) made no sense.
Hawkeye: Freefall's antagonist, the Hood also leaves much to be desired. He's a standard crime boss and the comic makes no effort to expound on the how or why of his entire operation or make him interesting in any way. Most of his scenes consist of him killing people that could provide him with information on who exactly is trying to kill him. I think these scenes were trying to be comedic but the jokes never landed. The only interesting thing about the Hood is his magical cloak that's possessed by a demon but despite being the core concept of this character it barely comes into play at all.
So overall I hated pretty much everything about this book. To end on a positive Otto Schmidt's was solid throughout. I do wish it had been in service of a better story though.
I'll always love the Birds of Prey especially written by Gail Simone but I won't lie this volume had some issues that were hard to ignore. The biggest was the art. As someone whose read the entire original run of Birds of Prey I'm used to the left-handed drawing that haunts this series. But no matter how hard I try I cannot help but find the abundance of ass shots and convoluted scenarios that finds the girls half naked or seductively posed beyond distasteful. Ed Benes joins the ranks of skeevy Birds of Prey artists like Butch Guice and James Fry, a truly dishonarable position in my book. And Gail Simone isn't free of the criticism either because why was there and entire two-page spread dream sequence of the Birds seducing Penguin? It genuinely haunts me.
But while I generally didn't like the art in this volume the characters, as always, had my heart. Endrun's first arc sees the team back together in Gotham to solve a blackmailing conspiracy threatening their friends, families and allies. The story itself was a tad convoluted and its ultimate villain the White Canary was flat and shallowly characterized. But the way this crisis brought the girls together was legitimately moving.
What made the story for me was how it demonstrated the love between the girls. Dinah and Helena are at their most self sacrificing and their deep connection is palpable. I equally loved moments like the girls at Zinda's bedside after she's taken down by Penguin. This volume is just littered with moments of that unspoken connection between the Birds that really highlight exactly why this series works.
The story also ties in Creote and Savant, the villains turned allies from the very beginning of Gail Simone's run. While their role adds a tad of convolution to the narrative even their moments with Barbara were emotional and moving. I do wish the narrative engaged more with Savant's mental illness as it is a crux of the narrative, but the way it tied into the narrative was gripping nonetheless and especially tied well into Barbara's own character arc.
Overall Endrun was a solid entry in the birds of Prey series. While I have quibbles with its structure and despite its egregious of the art I'll always love my girls and they were done justice here.
But while I generally didn't like the art in this volume the characters, as always, had my heart. Endrun's first arc sees the team back together in Gotham to solve a blackmailing conspiracy threatening their friends, families and allies. The story itself was a tad convoluted and its ultimate villain the White Canary was flat and shallowly characterized. But the way this crisis brought the girls together was legitimately moving.
What made the story for me was how it demonstrated the love between the girls. Dinah and Helena are at their most self sacrificing and their deep connection is palpable. I equally loved moments like the girls at Zinda's bedside after she's taken down by Penguin. This volume is just littered with moments of that unspoken connection between the Birds that really highlight exactly why this series works.
The story also ties in Creote and Savant, the villains turned allies from the very beginning of Gail Simone's run. While their role adds a tad of convolution to the narrative even their moments with Barbara were emotional and moving. I do wish the narrative engaged more with Savant's mental illness as it is a crux of the narrative, but the way it tied into the narrative was gripping nonetheless and especially tied well into Barbara's own character arc.
Overall Endrun was a solid entry in the birds of Prey series. While I have quibbles with its structure and despite its egregious of the art I'll always love my girls and they were done justice here.
It's always great to get back into Claremont X-Men especially after a long break from the comics.
This volume opens with the Avengers Annual #10. While it's most remembered for being the first appearance of Rogue what most fascinated me about the comic was everything Chris Claremont was doing with Carol Danvers. The story is her reintroduction after the infamously terrible Avengers #200. Here Claremont attempts and, in my opinion, succeeds at giving Carol the agency and empathy that was robbed from her in that story. It forefronts the callousness of the way her sexual assault and forced impregnation was treated in comics at the time. The directness of her final monologue to the Avengers felt like an indictment of writers that treat female characters as disposable and their bodies as sites of sexual violence without care. Sure Avengers Annual #10 is also a fun story filled with Brotherhood machinations and cool action (shout out to Rogue being an absolutely BEAST throughout) but its ending is what makes it a truly powerful read.
Outside of the annual the bulk of this volume deals deals with the X-Men getting wrapped up in Shi'ar Empire shenanigans. While I wasn't a fan of Shi'ar plots in previous volumes it largely worked for me here. In this volume the X-Men are forced to hunt down Empress Lilandra's kidnapper, her evil sister Deathbird, before the empire destroys Earth in retaliation. The political machinations of this plot were fun and well executed, but I most enjoyed the melodramatic character drama woven throughout.
Namely the reveal that space pirate and Starjammer Corsair is Cyclops's presumed dead father. Don't get me wrong there are beats of the arc I don't love, mainly the relegation of Scott's mother Katherine Anne to a dead wife whose only role is giving Corsair pathos. This is a particularly striking character choice given Claremont's overall strong writing of female characters. But despite that, those moments of tension and connection between Cyclops and Corsair are genuinely moving. The narrative gives space for Scott feelings of abandonment and allows us to see how that childhood trauma has impacted his character. But Corsair isn't just left to be a deadbeat. Him and Scott genuinely connect over their shared loss and seeing them learn to be father and son again was beautiful.
Overall this was my exactly my shit. From Kitty trying on a million gaudy costumes on a Shi'ar ship to to Storms doomed romance with Arkon to neat crossovers with the Fantastic Four and Tigra and the grand fun space adventures that tie it all together. I just love the X-Men.
This volume opens with the Avengers Annual #10. While it's most remembered for being the first appearance of Rogue what most fascinated me about the comic was everything Chris Claremont was doing with Carol Danvers. The story is her reintroduction after the infamously terrible Avengers #200. Here Claremont attempts and, in my opinion, succeeds at giving Carol the agency and empathy that was robbed from her in that story. It forefronts the callousness of the way her sexual assault and forced impregnation was treated in comics at the time. The directness of her final monologue to the Avengers felt like an indictment of writers that treat female characters as disposable and their bodies as sites of sexual violence without care. Sure Avengers Annual #10 is also a fun story filled with Brotherhood machinations and cool action (shout out to Rogue being an absolutely BEAST throughout) but its ending is what makes it a truly powerful read.
Outside of the annual the bulk of this volume deals deals with the X-Men getting wrapped up in Shi'ar Empire shenanigans. While I wasn't a fan of Shi'ar plots in previous volumes it largely worked for me here. In this volume the X-Men are forced to hunt down Empress Lilandra's kidnapper, her evil sister Deathbird, before the empire destroys Earth in retaliation. The political machinations of this plot were fun and well executed, but I most enjoyed the melodramatic character drama woven throughout.
Namely the reveal that space pirate and Starjammer Corsair is Cyclops's presumed dead father. Don't get me wrong there are beats of the arc I don't love, mainly the relegation of Scott's mother Katherine Anne to a dead wife whose only role is giving Corsair pathos. This is a particularly striking character choice given Claremont's overall strong writing of female characters. But despite that, those moments of tension and connection between Cyclops and Corsair are genuinely moving. The narrative gives space for Scott feelings of abandonment and allows us to see how that childhood trauma has impacted his character. But Corsair isn't just left to be a deadbeat. Him and Scott genuinely connect over their shared loss and seeing them learn to be father and son again was beautiful.
Overall this was my exactly my shit. From Kitty trying on a million gaudy costumes on a Shi'ar ship to to Storms doomed romance with Arkon to neat crossovers with the Fantastic Four and Tigra and the grand fun space adventures that tie it all together. I just love the X-Men.
Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 2
Marv Wolfman, Dick Giordano, John Byrne, Jerry Ordway, Terry Austin
John Byrne, along with Marv Wolfman continue to deliver solid Superman storytelling in Man of Steel volume 2. This collection sees Superman battle Metallo, team up with the Teen Titans and face down
various mad scientists all while Lex Luther schemes in the background.
As with most superhero stories for me this volume was made by its supporting cast. Lana Lang plays a significant role in issue 2 as Luthor hunts her down for information on Superman. Lana's resilience and refusal to bend in the face of Luthor's torture was such a strong moment for her character. Marv Wolfman in his run on Adventures of Superman spotlights the Lane family as they deal with the fallout of Elinor Lane's cancer diagnose and we check in on Lucy after her misadventures with Bizzaro and Superman in volume 1. New characters like gossip columnist Carey Grant, a new member of the Daily Planet crew, adds a fun new dynamic to the office as a potential rival for Clark's affections.
The bulk of this volume is a multipart crossover following the schemes of Darkseid on Apocalypse. As someone who's generally unengaged by Darkseid stories I was pleasantly surprised that this story managed to engage me. Darkseid's plan while occasionally convoluted was interesting. I liked seeing the ways he manipulated the political factions on the planet for his own ends. It made him feel like a genuine threat with an iron grip on the planet. And overall I was hooked by the grandiose, almost Shakespearian drama of the story in general.
Overall it was a solid volume and with strong writing from Wolfman especially I'm excited to read more from this run.
various mad scientists all while Lex Luther schemes in the background.
As with most superhero stories for me this volume was made by its supporting cast. Lana Lang plays a significant role in issue 2 as Luthor hunts her down for information on Superman. Lana's resilience and refusal to bend in the face of Luthor's torture was such a strong moment for her character. Marv Wolfman in his run on Adventures of Superman spotlights the Lane family as they deal with the fallout of Elinor Lane's cancer diagnose and we check in on Lucy after her misadventures with Bizzaro and Superman in volume 1. New characters like gossip columnist Carey Grant, a new member of the Daily Planet crew, adds a fun new dynamic to the office as a potential rival for Clark's affections.
The bulk of this volume is a multipart crossover following the schemes of Darkseid on Apocalypse. As someone who's generally unengaged by Darkseid stories I was pleasantly surprised that this story managed to engage me. Darkseid's plan while occasionally convoluted was interesting. I liked seeing the ways he manipulated the political factions on the planet for his own ends. It made him feel like a genuine threat with an iron grip on the planet. And overall I was hooked by the grandiose, almost Shakespearian drama of the story in general.
Overall it was a solid volume and with strong writing from Wolfman especially I'm excited to read more from this run.
Oracle: The Cure
Kevin VanHook, Julián López, Claude St. Aubin, Fernando Pasarín, Tony Bedard, John Floyd
While I don't hate Oracle: The Cure the story didn't really do much for me. I've never been fond of The Calculator as a villain. I don't think he's very interesting and rarely produces exciting stories for Babs or the Birds of Prey and this story is no exception.
The plot of this book is mainly technobabble gobbledygook as Oracle surfs the web trying to stop the Calculator. If you're fond of early 2000s depiction of "the net" and MMORPGs this might be more fun for you but it did nothing for me.
The Cure halfheartedly tries to be about Barbara's relationship with her disability and her Killing Joke trauma but never explores it in a novel or interesting way. Chuck Dixon was writing stories like this with Babs in the mid-90s so to see it rehashed in such an uninspired way was tedious. Not to mention the comic never sufficiently address why Barbara disbands the Birds of Prey at all.
Overall Oracle: The Cure was a nothing-burger story with nothing interesting to say. I don't hate it, but it was very meh.
I really wanted to like Phoenix Extravagant. Not only is Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of the Empire series one of my favourites the premise alone of this book was fascinating. The tagline says it all, "Dragons. Art. Revolution." I was excited to see Lee's exploration of colonization and an artist's place in revolution with mecha dragons to boot. Unfortunately it didn't quite deliver.
But let's start with the positives. The crowning jewel of Phoenix Extravagant was its worldbuilding. Lee is clearly inspired my early 20th century Korean history. The way this setting blends with magical and steampunk elements was fun to see explored. Silkpunk fantasy is one of my favourite sub genres and the way its utilized here was so well executed. The art and calligraphy based magic system of this world is fascinating.
Unfortunately I deeply struggled with Phoenix Extravagant's protagonist. The book is told from the perspective of Jebi a 26 year old artists who's deeply uninvested in the colonial politics of their country but gets wrapped up in the work of the military and eventually the rebellion. Jebi's ignorance and lack of care about the colonial project being waged on their country made it hard to like them as a protagonist. They were frequently shown to be deeply ignorant of the world in a way that made them feel much younger than their stated age. While on paper I can appreciate the concept of a character learning about the injustice around them and figuring our their place in it, this version of that story arc oscillated between boring and frustrating because of Jebi's reticence to involve themselves in the political realities of their world.
This is unfortunate because I found many of the side characters really gripping. From Bongsunga Jebi's militant revolutionary older sister, to Vei, Jebi's love interest, a duelist working for the ministry with split loyalties and even Araki the automaton dragon at the centre of it all caught between a personal belief in pacifism and the realities of the suffering bought by colonialist forces. I found their relationships to the revolution and perspective on the occupation so fascinating which only highlighted more how dull I found Jebi in contrast.
I do respect some of the themes Lee was attempting to explore in this story. Jebi brings their perspective as an artist to all that they do throughout the novel. We contemplate the philosophy of art the place of artists and their work in wider culture and the process of cultural genocide. But ultimately I found Jebi's general passivity made them an uninteresting character to explore these themes through.
This book's structure and pacing also made it an uneven read. The first half of the book is pretty slow paced. We get the minute details of Jebi's time in the ministry and this section of the book lack any real intrigue . Eventually the plot picks up especially after the introduction to Araki at around the 40% mark but the back half of the novel consequently felt rushed. We speed through the second half of the book and imo rush through a lot of the relationship development fo Jebi and Vei and Jebi and Araki making some of the emotional beats of the third act fall flat.
Ultimately while I respect a lot of what Yoon Ha Lee was doing in Phoenix Extravagant I found the lens we saw the story through and its plotting and pacing overall to be a let down.
But let's start with the positives. The crowning jewel of Phoenix Extravagant was its worldbuilding. Lee is clearly inspired my early 20th century Korean history. The way this setting blends with magical and steampunk elements was fun to see explored. Silkpunk fantasy is one of my favourite sub genres and the way its utilized here was so well executed. The art and calligraphy based magic system of this world is fascinating.
Unfortunately I deeply struggled with Phoenix Extravagant's protagonist. The book is told from the perspective of Jebi a 26 year old artists who's deeply uninvested in the colonial politics of their country but gets wrapped up in the work of the military and eventually the rebellion. Jebi's ignorance and lack of care about the colonial project being waged on their country made it hard to like them as a protagonist. They were frequently shown to be deeply ignorant of the world in a way that made them feel much younger than their stated age. While on paper I can appreciate the concept of a character learning about the injustice around them and figuring our their place in it, this version of that story arc oscillated between boring and frustrating because of Jebi's reticence to involve themselves in the political realities of their world.
This is unfortunate because I found many of the side characters really gripping. From Bongsunga Jebi's militant revolutionary older sister, to Vei, Jebi's love interest, a duelist working for the ministry with split loyalties and even Araki the automaton dragon at the centre of it all caught between a personal belief in pacifism and the realities of the suffering bought by colonialist forces. I found their relationships to the revolution and perspective on the occupation so fascinating which only highlighted more how dull I found Jebi in contrast.
I do respect some of the themes Lee was attempting to explore in this story. Jebi brings their perspective as an artist to all that they do throughout the novel. We contemplate the philosophy of art the place of artists and their work in wider culture and the process of cultural genocide. But ultimately I found Jebi's general passivity made them an uninteresting character to explore these themes through.
This book's structure and pacing also made it an uneven read. The first half of the book is pretty slow paced. We get the minute details of Jebi's time in the ministry and this section of the book lack any real intrigue . Eventually the plot picks up especially after the introduction to Araki at around the 40% mark but the back half of the novel consequently felt rushed. We speed through the second half of the book and imo rush through a lot of the relationship development fo Jebi and Vei and Jebi and Araki making some of the emotional beats of the third act fall flat.
Ultimately while I respect a lot of what Yoon Ha Lee was doing in Phoenix Extravagant I found the lens we saw the story through and its plotting and pacing overall to be a let down.
- Started on: February 26th, 2024
- DNF'd on: February 27th, 2024
- DNF'd at: 34%
I tried reading That Could Be Enough twice and both times it just didn't stick. Unfortunately it's another book to add to the pile of DNF'd sapphic romances. And honestly I can't really pinpoint why this book just didn't work for me.
There are minor things about this novella I don't love like the absolute reverence this book has for Alexander Hamilton. This probably would have worked for me a bit more when I was in depth of my hamilton fandom around 2016 but that energy honestly doesn't play as well in 2024. The novella also has some Alyssa Cole-isms I've never liked in any of her books namely the way Cole writes sexual attraction between her leads is something I just can't connect to.
But overall I just wasn't engaged by the story or its characters. I read rave reviews fro other people so it's certainly working for some and hopefully I find an Alyssa Cole story that hits the way that her early Reluctant Royals books did.
Started on: march 1st, 2024
DNF'd on: March 7th, 2024
DNF'd at 40%
I hate to DNF another sapphic romance but I hate forcing myself to read books I don't like more. Unfortunately while Mangos and Mistletoes has rave reviews it just didn't work for me on several levels.
My big problem with this book was its approach and structure. I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love/lust between characters. And while that may seem like an unfair criticism for a novella I've seen authors work to build a romantic dynamic between characters in similarly short page counts. Unfortunately Adriana Herrera in this book chooses to almost exclusively highlight Kiskeya and Sully sexual attraction to each other which to me just isn't as interesting.
Further I thought It was an odd choice to put our two lead at odds with each other given the limited page count. Kiskeya's animosity to Sully felt incredibly forced and juvenile. She was standoffish and rude in way that frankly made her pretty frustrating POV to read from. Sully's response to Kiskeya stonewalling while reasonable didn't leave much room for a fun romantic dynamic to develop. I'm sure things change as the story unfolds but 40% into the novella nothing about this romance intrigued me enough to continue.
I think my final disappointment with this novela was its use of the baking reality TV show premise. I got 40% into the novella and the competition hadn't even started. While we see our competitors go to various pre-show socials and mixers but we see none of them talking strategy or planning their bakes. I was even hoping for some behind the scenes producer shenanigans or talk about what filming was like. This is the second reality TV show romance I've read that felt like it didn't understand the appeal or structure of reality tv and couldn't reproduce the fun of it in a book
Again take my opinion with a grain of salt cause I didn't finish the book and some of my complaints could have been resolved as the story developed. but unfortunately nothing about the beginning of the story made me want to know how everything would play out.
DNF'd on: March 7th, 2024
DNF'd at 40%
I hate to DNF another sapphic romance but I hate forcing myself to read books I don't like more. Unfortunately while Mangos and Mistletoes has rave reviews it just didn't work for me on several levels.
My big problem with this book was its approach and structure. I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love/lust between characters. And while that may seem like an unfair criticism for a novella I've seen authors work to build a romantic dynamic between characters in similarly short page counts. Unfortunately Adriana Herrera in this book chooses to almost exclusively highlight Kiskeya and Sully sexual attraction to each other which to me just isn't as interesting.
Further I thought It was an odd choice to put our two lead at odds with each other given the limited page count. Kiskeya's animosity to Sully felt incredibly forced and juvenile. She was standoffish and rude in way that frankly made her pretty frustrating POV to read from. Sully's response to Kiskeya stonewalling while reasonable didn't leave much room for a fun romantic dynamic to develop. I'm sure things change as the story unfolds but 40% into the novella nothing about this romance intrigued me enough to continue.
I think my final disappointment with this novela was its use of the baking reality TV show premise. I got 40% into the novella and the competition hadn't even started. While we see our competitors go to various pre-show socials and mixers but we see none of them talking strategy or planning their bakes. I was even hoping for some behind the scenes producer shenanigans or talk about what filming was like. This is the second reality TV show romance I've read that felt like it didn't understand the appeal or structure of reality tv and couldn't reproduce the fun of it in a book
Again take my opinion with a grain of salt cause I didn't finish the book and some of my complaints could have been resolved as the story developed. but unfortunately nothing about the beginning of the story made me want to know how everything would play out.