This is going to be a fairly short review because I don’t really have any strong feelings about this one. I enjoyed it, but that’s about it.
She Who BThis is going to be a fairly short review because I don’t really have any strong feelings about this one. I enjoyed it, but that’s about it.
She Who Became the Sun is a historical fantasy novel that takes place in 14th century China, exploring themes of gender in a very literary style. Shelley Parker-Chan is obviously a talented writer; she writes beautiful prose worthy of any literary novel. The way she develops each character was also skilled and subtle in a very literary way. That being said, her characters didn’t really hold my attention. I had a hard time caring about what happened to them. I don’t think they were poorly written, but I do think this was a little too literary for a fantasy book I’m reading for pleasure for my personal taste.
Part one was the most interesting to me, because it dealt with the poverty associated with the famine and the horrors people—especially girls—face as a result of that, combined with a school-like setting at the monastery. I’m a sucker for school and university settings. I realized while reading that the things I like about part one are many of the things I loved about The Poppy War: the brutal depiction of historical China with a school-like setting. Unfortunately, this isn’t really what She Who Became the Sun is about. Most of the book focuses on war (in a different way than The Poppy War, in my opinion) but the main theme is the main character’s gender identity. She is a girl who pretends to be a boy so she could become a monk. She eventually marries a woman and continues to pose as a man, but she doesn’t really consider herself to be male or female. It’s probably the biggest point of discussion in the whole book.
I think She Who Became the Sun is very well-written, even if it didn’t work for me as well as it probably works for a lot of others. Ultimately, I’ve decided to rate it four stars instead of three (my go-to for middling reviews) because the prose was excellent, I absolutely adored part one of the story, and I liked the rest enough that there was never a point when I wanted to give up on the book.
Note: I read this book as part of my attempt to read all of the 2021 Hugo nominees. She Who Became the Sun has been nominated for best novel....more
I’ve been wanting to get into reading historical romance and picked this both because it’s super popular on bookstagram and because it was available aI’ve been wanting to get into reading historical romance and picked this both because it’s super popular on bookstagram and because it was available as a book of the month add-on. It was exactly what I was looking for.
My only criticism is that it’s somewhat optimistic and often seems unrealistic. But, I’m here looking for a light and fun romance. I don’t necessarily need brutal and hopeless politics marring that. So, I’m happy with it the way it is.
A lot of this reminded me of Pride and Prejudice, which is one of my favorite books. It’s like an Austen book with a smidgen of Jane Eyre except less realism and more spice.
I absolutely couldn’t put this down. I read it in two sittings over the course of two days. It was fabulous.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the series next! ...more
I had high expectations for this book to the point where I tried to curb them before I started reading because I knew odds were good that when I thinkI had high expectations for this book to the point where I tried to curb them before I started reading because I knew odds were good that when I think a book is going to be THIS good, I’m probably going to be disappointed.
If I had to describe this book as simply as possible, I would say that it’s 50% fairytale and 50% horror, mixed in with a classic feminist literature flair.
One of the reasons why I was really looking forward to this book is because it’s a fairytale fantasy, similar to THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE or UPROOTED. From the first page, Ava Reid delivered. The prose was stunning and repeatedly returned to fairytales throughout the book. It wasn’t just a childhood story, based on mythology, or using a metaphor from a folktale. It used fairytales in every way imaginable. Every fiber of this book was built from their threads. I loved that.
I began to get uneasy because the book overall was very sensual (hence my description of it as having a bit of a classic feminist literature flair). Sometimes I get frustrated with books that are overly sexual for no reason and with this one it seemed liked it was going beyond that into being weirdly sexual. There was one specific thing I found disconcerting, but then I realized a.) this is a horror book and I’m MEANT to find this content disconcerting and b.) there was a specific, in-book reason for the hyper-focus on this one thing that I just didn’t realize yet because it hadn’t fully been revealed yet.
Another reason why I was super excited for this book was because I had seen Ava Reid talking about her protagonist on her Instagram stories. Marlinchen is very feminine. She wears pink silk dresses, has long hair, does the cooking and cleaning for her family, is her father’s youngest and most obedient daughter, and her most prized possession is the charm bracelet she inherited from her mother. I love the idea that women should be allowed to be soft and kind and feminine and not be killed for it or sneered at for conforming to the patriarchy. I’ve grown up in the age of YA fantasy and dystopias where every “strong female character” whines about having to wear dresses, has a sharp tongue, and wields a weapon better than any man. I’m sick of it. If anything, it’s more pro-masculinity than feminist. I know a lot of people in the book community have pointed this out, but even in 2022 a ton of the YA fantasy books I pick up have similar protagonists, even if the authors have made them less “not like other girls” in an outward way that puts down other women. I’m not seeing very many stories at all with women who are embracing their femininity and who are also strong women. Marlinchen is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
This book is also squarely a horror book and I would suggest checking trigger warnings if that’s something you like to do. There were a couple scenes in particular that I found particularly challenging. In many ways, the entire book was uncomfortable. I don’t think there was a single scene in this book that made me genuinely happy or hopeful. I mostly found it disturbing, rather than frightening or disgusting. Everything had at least an undercurrent of unsettling energy. Most of the negative reviews I’ve seen have centered around this content and the fact that people don’t seem to realize this is a horror novel before they start it. There were lots of things that seemed excessive to me at first—especially some of the things that are highly sexualized—but make total sense within the context of Marlinchen’s trauma. I don’t want to get spoilery, but Marlinchin has bulimia and severe body dysmorphia as a result of the trauma she faced and continues to face.
I also want to address the relationship between Marlinchen and the love interest. I saw a couple criticisms that it was a bit insta-lovey and too full of lust without enough development. On one hand, I do agree that they get together very quickly, but this makes complete sense given that Marlinchen is a young woman who hasn’t been allowed to walk past the gates of her house in the twenty-three years of life because of her abusive father. Of course, she’s going to fall in love with the first beautiful man she meets. She’s desperate for acceptance and love, and here is someone who is offering it to her. It occurs to me that Reid could have taken a much darker turn here—in addition to all the other horrible things that happen in this book, Marlinchen’s lover could easily betray her. As I said before, there aren’t any scenes in this book that are truly happy. I think having a slightly idealized version of events in finding Sevas and falling in love is necessary both because it gives the book the only hope it has to offer and because it would be unbelievably grim without that.
I’m not sure how much I actually enjoyed reading this, but after I got a good ways into it I absolutely couldn’t stop thinking about it. I started writing this review when I was about 85% done because I just had so many thoughts I needed to get out (sorry, I know this is long—it’s probably the longest review I’ve ever written). I did drool over Reid’s beautiful prose while I was reading it. Now that I’ve finished, I still can’t stop thinking about Marlinchen. I don’t know when I ever will.
One final note: I’ve never read The Juniper Tree so any love or distaste in that aspect of it is completely lost on me. I do have a copy of the Grimm’s book and I intend to go look it up soon to read it. I’m incredibly intrigued in the original story that inspired this one....more
The only reason I’m not rating this 5⭐️ is because I found it somewhat predictable and, for a book that is supposed to be fantasy romance, doesn’t havThe only reason I’m not rating this 5⭐️ is because I found it somewhat predictable and, for a book that is supposed to be fantasy romance, doesn’t have quite as much romance as I’d like.
I would recommend this if you like: - Jane Austen/historical romance in a fantasy setting - low/no steam romance - traditional fae - fantasy with a little bit of technology or magic mixed with technology - childhood friends to lovers - family drama/politics
I really loved Hetta’s character. Even though she’s quite different from me—making her hard to relate to at times—I felt she was a well-developed character with reasonable and realistic flaws. I felt all the other characters were well thought-out as well and seemed like-like to me, including the villain. ...more
"Chih didn't spend very much time with children, but they lived in stories, and for a little while, they could invite the children of Betony Docks int"Chih didn't spend very much time with children, but they lived in stories, and for a little while, they could invite the children of Betony Docks into the house they made, offering them the fragile shelter of a story they had all built together."
The third installment in the Singing Hills Cycle did not disappoint! As always, I loved Almost Brilliant and Cleric Chih. The writing style itself was closer to When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain than The Empress of Salt and Fortune, beautiful yet very accessible. This one focuses more on women who are strong, powerful warriors and who might not be considered the most beautiful as a result.
This is a series of companion novellas, so you don't need to start with The Empress of Salt and Fortune if you like the sound of any of the other books better.
Thank you to Tor Dot Com and Netgalley for this advanced copy!...more
I finished it! And guess what? I absolutely loved it. Full review to come. In the meantime, let me recommend this is anyone who likes Maggie StiefvateI finished it! And guess what? I absolutely loved it. Full review to come. In the meantime, let me recommend this is anyone who likes Maggie Stiefvater. This is exactly what I wanted but didn’t get from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue as well.
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This is such a GORGEOUS cover! It sounds so interesting, too. I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it before.
Update: THIS IS A BOTM PICK??? YESSSSSSSS MAAAA’AM...more
I really, really loved this book and I’m very confused about why it hasn’t gained more popularity by this point.
Fire with Fire is an urban fantasy inI really, really loved this book and I’m very confused about why it hasn’t gained more popularity by this point.
Fire with Fire is an urban fantasy in the vein of LEGENDBORN about a Latinx family of dragon slayers living in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It follows some typical YA tropes (as most YA fantasy books do) but I thought the characters were well-written and it was fast-paced enough to keep my attention more than any other book I was reading at the time.
Possibly my favorite thing about the book was the characters. Eden and Dani are sisters training to be dragon slayers. One of my favorite things about their family was how loving and supportive their parents are. FINALLY, we get a fantasy book where the parents aren’t either dead or abusive. Eden is the eldest sister. She’s in college, is a huge perfectionist, and struggles with anxiety. Dani is more of the “main character” of the book, although it’s told from both Eden and Dani’s POV’s, and she’s more interested in living a normal teenage life than being a slayer, even though she’s kind of a slayer prodigy. I also really appreciated Dani’s relationships with Tomás (boys and girls CAN be just friends in fiction!) and her ex-best friend Sadie. The inclusion of Sadie’s obsession with the dragon subreddit was a little too real.
In fact, that was one really cool thing about this book—how the dragons are a part of our world without us knowing it. Yes, the dragons have magical abilities to conceal themselves, but the sorcerer’s mind-wiping powers, the historical documents in the special collections library at Vanderbilt, and the dragon-believing-subreddit really brought things together nicely. It was especially cool because I live in the general area and hike a lot, so when it talked about missing hikers and plane crashes in the mountains it was eerily accurate.
I also really liked the villain(s) of the story and can’t wait to see where the next book goes with that. I’ve seen a few people complain about the ambiguity of the magic system (specifically, stuff regarding the sorcerers and what it means that they “lose their soul”) but I’m hoping some of that will be explained in book two. I’m okay not knowing for now....more
I know I rated this 3⭐️, but it’s really more like 3.5. I just didn’t quite want to give it 4 because I didn’t love it as much as volume 1.
This one wI know I rated this 3⭐️, but it’s really more like 3.5. I just didn’t quite want to give it 4 because I didn’t love it as much as volume 1.
This one was definitely a little bit weirder than I remember volume 1 being, although it had a lot of good and hilarious moments. April is still a favorite of mine...more
The premise of this graphic novel is SO cute and right up my alley. Five girls are at an all-girls camp similar to Girl Scouts, but far more dangerousThe premise of this graphic novel is SO cute and right up my alley. Five girls are at an all-girls camp similar to Girl Scouts, but far more dangerous, adventurous, and magical. I was in Girl Scouts for twelve years and fantasy is my favorite genre so this novel is me to the MAX!
The book is set up like it’s been written over top of the Lumberjanes Field Guide. I thought that was a really fun touch and I also liked all of the art, specifically the magical creatures the girls run into along the way.
The girls themselves were super unique but I had a hard time knowing them. I think I spent the first third of the book trying to remember all of their names, but we never really got to learn much about their backgrounds. I would have liked a little more characterization but this wasn’t too much of an issue for me.
The world building and magical aspects were interesting and unique. I definitely enjoyed them a lot but it didn’t seem to be very cohesive. However, we are learning about what’s going on along with the girls so I hope more about that will be revealed in the later volumes.
The plot is less a plot for the whole issue and more of an episodic look into the girls adventures with each chapter. At the end of this issue, nothing much has been revealed or discovered overall, but I can’t wait to see what trouble the girls get into in the next issue as we find out more about Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniguiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. ...more
This book was everything I wanted and more. I can tell you right now that this, along with The Fifth Season, is going to be one of my favorite books oThis book was everything I wanted and more. I can tell you right now that this, along with The Fifth Season, is going to be one of my favorite books of 2021.
I'll admit that the first thing that drew me to the book was the setting. I'm a student at Carolina myself, so I wanted to see what Deonn's secret, underground Carolina would look like. The idea of a secret society at a university also reminded me of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, which I loved. The idea of a secret society at UNC? Even better. I think Deonn did an excellent job crafting the setting. Both Carolina and this secret, Arthurian society seemed authentic. The magic system was complicated enough to keep things interesting, too.
The characters were the real stars of this show. The main character, Bree, is dealing with the death of her mother. While I have been fortunate enough to not have to deal with this kind of loss personally, I have seen plenty of other reviewers praising the book's portrayal of grief. I also appreciated the commentary on the struggles Bree faces as a Black girl in the South. In fact, there was a lot of diversity to appreciate, including a nonbinary character. I sympathized a LOT with Bree's best friend and roommate, Alice. I also loved Nick and Sel.
I have some potentially-spoilery thoughts about the romance so I'm going to include those in spoiler tags here:
(view spoiler)[When Sel walked onto the page in the first chapter I just KNEW he was going to be the dark, broody love interest. I was somewhat relieved when Bree fell for Nick and even happier when there didn't initially seem to be a love triangle forming. After everything that went down in the end of the book, I'm not sure that Nick and Bree have a future together. I still love Nick, but Sel just makes more sense now. I'm hoping Nick and Bree can remain friends in book two even as Sel and Bree become closer. (hide spoiler)]
**END OF SPOILERS**
At 500 pages, Legendborn is a little longer than most YA books. Nonetheless, it has a lightning-fast plot. I couldn't put it down. The plot twists toward the end were fun and unpredictable and left me dying for the next book in the series. I absolutely can't wait to see where Bree's journey takes her next!
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I’m SO EXCITED to finally read this! It takes place at my university and it’s really hitting hard since I can’t be on campus rn ...more
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