Even if it was a house with rotting bones and a heart made out of a dead girl's ghost, I'd give it everything it wanted just for scraps. Some unabr
Even if it was a house with rotting bones and a heart made out of a dead girl's ghost, I'd give it everything it wanted just for scraps. Some unabridged attention, some love… I'm so tired of this, I thought. Come make me warm and I'll give you what we both want.
Plot Summary: Cat, Philip, Lin, Talia, and Faiz are at a Heian-era (794-1185, the final period of the Classical Japanese period, for those about to Google) mansion, where the rumors tell that girls are buried once a year to keep a buried-alive bride company. This is a horror novella, so I’m sure you can figure out where things go from there.
This was *fine* which is never how I want to feel about a horror novel. While the writing style is quite brilliant, the charters are both frustrating and underdeveloped, making them extremely hard to root for – I kept expecting to actually learn just a few things about their backstories, and never did. For a book entirely predicated on the conflict between its five leads, I left the book knowing next to nothing about the conflict. Lin and Faiz are the only characters I particularly found tolerable. Talia and Cat’s conflict seemed so clearly like a red herring that not getting any more resolution of their dynamic drove me up a wall. When I hit the ending I quite literally felt nothing but “oh, that’s it”?
Cassandra Khaw is a fantastic writer, and there is one scene at around 50% through that is just utterly terrifying in the best ways. But I craved so much more from this. If the novella is so preoccupied with overturning the racialized and sexual tropes of horror, I think it needs to engage with them in a meaningful way first, and this just really doesn’t. Great writing and some properly terrifying moments, but probably one of the least standout horrors I’ve read in a while.
I think this is arguably the most tragic of the Tensorate. As we follow Investigator Chuwan, we know from the starokay Neon Yang. Slay again I suppose
I think this is arguably the most tragic of the Tensorate. As we follow Investigator Chuwan, we know from the start that she is writing this from beyond the grave – that her story of Rider, Sanao Akeha, and whatever went down at the mysterious base in the mountains will end badly. But reading her account, cut with primary source documents, is still consistently interesting. The horrors of that base are slow to come, but speak perfectly to exactly what is horrifying about the world of Tensorate – the vivid exterior, and the dark interior within.
Lovely as always. This installment of the Singing Hells novella series sees Cleric Chih returning home, giving us better backstory on our darling clerLovely as always. This installment of the Singing Hells novella series sees Cleric Chih returning home, giving us better backstory on our darling cleric. It plays with their complicated homecoming in a way that I enjoyed, and gives us significantly more lore on the clerics’ history. This wasn’t my favorite of the novellas, but it was still a lovely one! ...more
When you love a person, you are expected to give them their freedom, but when you love a monster, you keep it caged.
Fonda Lee is constantly cement
When you love a person, you are expected to give them their freedom, but when you love a monster, you keep it caged.
Fonda Lee is constantly cementing herself as one of my favorite authors.
Untethered Sky follows Ester, a girl half-orphaned by a deadly manticore who becomes a rukher, a hunter of her own killers. In the course of her relationship with Zahra, her massive, deadly roc, as well as her fellow rukhers Yasmine and Darius, she finds a pathway towards her own recovery.
A thousand things could be said about Fonda Lee's fantastic writing, and brilliant, smart character writing. Untethered Sky engages itself with two beasts from Persian and Arabian folklore: manticores, man-eating beasts with human heads and lion bodies, and rocs, giant birds able to hunt them. Ester's narration is compelling strong.
But what truly struck me about this novella is the building of relationships between the rocs and the rukhers. The rukhers grow to truly love their rocs, wishing for their presence. The rocs survive. When one bird dies, there is always another roc to train. Yet the rukhers mourn their birds. By the time we reach the wonderful, emotional ending, I was near tears and thinking about my cat.
What was this man on. Coincidentally, this 1872 novella contains one of the first literary uses of the phrase "on something" to refer to doing drugs. What was this man on. Coincidentally, this 1872 novella contains one of the first literary uses of the phrase "on something" to refer to doing drugs. Green Tea is a creepy short story about being haunted by a monkey. Definitely much to unpack about the tea trade and the racial/colonial implications of the novel's fascination with the exoticism of tea, both as Chinese - a product of the colonized that bites the colonizer back - and as British, a product of the colonizer corrupted by that status. Really interesting and I'll definitely return to this in the future.
“If you let me feed you now, I will go home with you to the mountains, and yours will be the only story I speak at night.”
This is a love story.
Cl
“If you let me feed you now, I will go home with you to the mountains, and yours will be the only story I speak at night.”
This is a love story.
Cleric Chih, keeper of memories, finds themself in the northern Kihir Pass speaking to tiger Ho Sinh Loan, who claims herself as ruler of the Ogai region. There, Chih must tell the story of tiger Ho Thi Thao and the scholar she loved, and be corrected by the tiger and her younger sisters.
It's a novella about stories, how we pass them down and which narratives we decide to believe. It is about who is believed, and what appeals in love, and what can be loved. But it is also a story about love and desire. There are two specific lines I can't stop feeling myself drawn to, can't stop remembering, about the nature of love: ➽“She was almost afraid to look up to see how the tiger took them. When you love a thing too much, it is a special kind of pain to show it to others and see that it is lacking.” ➽“It came to Ho Ti Thao that perhaps she wanted to learn how else the scholar was beautiful, and even in what ways the scholar might be ugly, which could also be fascinating and beloved.”
It's a type of love built on seeing, built on showing of self, ugly and wonderful. As Ho Ti Thao sees the scholar clearly in the fox-house, as the scholar sees right past the tiger's defenses, as they each see the other caged, as they each tear at the bars. Always, in every version of the story, they must learn to see each other.
Nghi Vo is a genius.
Singing Hills Lore Note: Long ago, Ahnfi was the greatest city in the world—last remaining bastion of the Ku dynasty. Ahn was just one of sixteen warring states declaring itself heirs to the doomed Ku dynasty, maybe 200 years ago. Si-yu has had family in the corps since “Mei-an’s day”, which Chih points out is during the Xun dynasty, potentially “some two hundred years ago” before the Anh system. The southern defenses failed fifty to sixty years ago (both dates are given, so presumably it was a long invasion) when the northern mammoths stormed the mountain passes. After that, “Anh had forced the north into their reckoning.” It’s confusing to me whether Anh won or beat back someone else. (We'll return next book to see if I got any of this right.)
Where the Drowned Girls Go, the seventh novella in the Every Heart a Doorway series, is Cora’s real novel. While her first two introductions were for Where the Drowned Girls Go, the seventh novella in the Every Heart a Doorway series, is Cora’s real novel. While her first two introductions were for Sumi and for Jack, this one is for Cora. And it’s for her learning that there is nothing wrong with her, even when she cannot feel like herself any longer. When she gets herself shipped off to a home for children who wish to forget their homes, not become them, she must find the strength to find herself again.
I think I’m potentially just starting to feel like these novellas end up going over the same themes and plots. But this one is good fun. I do find Cora really compelling as a character. Sumi, Jack, and Kade all make lovely cameos, and I really enjoyed the new character content. I’ll be reading the next one.
“He said I fucked cows.” “Who hasn’t said you fuck cows? We’ve all said it.”
The Order of the Pale Moon Reflected In Water follows waitress and nun
“He said I fucked cows.” “Who hasn’t said you fuck cows? We’ve all said it.”
The Order of the Pale Moon Reflected In Water follows waitress and nun of The Order of the Pale Moon Guet Imm joins a wandering band of bandits, led by Fung Cheung, as they plan to sell an important artifact. But Tet Sang, their second in command, holds secrets of his own.
My main review? This novella is delightfully funny. I can’t tell you how much fun I had with Zen Cho’s sharp, witty writing.
She is a nun. How can you blame her for not fucking people? It’s like it I blame you for not knowing how to behave.
The twists and turns of the plot are a treat to read. Cho does a fantastic job hinting at future plot points to come with subtlety; I think on reread, this novella would only compel me more. And the lead characters are fantastic as well. Even with little pagetime, Tet Sang and Guet Imm were both easy to get invested in. I especially appreciated that every distinct member of the little band had a distinct and strong voice.
Incredible narrative voice and a strong new novella! I'll definitely be reading more by Zen Cho.
It was beautiful, but every stitch bites into her history, the deaths she left behind, and the home she could not refer to.
The Empress of Salt and
It was beautiful, but every stitch bites into her history, the deaths she left behind, and the home she could not refer to.
The Empress of Salt and Fortune follows Rabbit the Handmaiden she tells a narrative of the empress In-Yo to Chih, a Cleric keeper of memories, and Almost Brilliant, a bird and a scribe of memories.
There are several things to love about this novella, including the gorgeous writing and wonderful characters, but primary to it is its treatment of the complexities of history and memory. The empress erased memories of her own life, leaving Rabbit as the only memory. It is thus in her telling that the Empress’s cruelty comes, but also in that her humanity is extracted.
The humanity of those around her does not go unmarked, either. Servant Kazu and fortuneteller Sukai (Lucky) are each unimportant, but remembered by Almost Brilliant nonetheless. There is a passage about burning trash that specifically made me tear up; it was really beautiful.
This novella touched me so deeply and I’m sure I’ll find myself returning to it again in the future. I’m excited to read the rest of this series.
To Be Taught If Fortunate is a hopeful space opera about the exploration of new planets and the legacies we leave to our future generations. When a grTo Be Taught If Fortunate is a hopeful space opera about the exploration of new planets and the legacies we leave to our future generations. When a group of astronauts find their transmissions from earth delayed by troubles at home, they must make the ultimate decisions about how to proceed—whether to return, or choose a different path.
I don’t quite know how to encapsulate the sheer amount of love, and respect, for humanity that I always feel after reading a Becky Chambers novel. While her people are never perfect, they are caring and loving towards the world. Even when her characters hurt each other, you can’t help but love them regardless.
To Be Taught If Fortunate engages with the space opera genre by loving the landscapes it takes you to. Even in the brutality of some of the worlds, there is always beauty and hope and even rugged strength to be found. I adore Chanber’s writing, and I can’t wait to read more. I know I’ll be thinking of this book for a long, long time.
Unbelievably beautiful – and better than the first of this novella series in my humble opinion.
Sanao Mokoya is a fallen prophet working to protect thUnbelievably beautiful – and better than the first of this novella series in my humble opinion.
Sanao Mokoya is a fallen prophet working to protect the rebellious from her old home in the Capitol of the Prectorate. But on a quest to save the city of Bataanar from a mysteriously powerful naga dinosaur, she meets Rider, a mysterious rider of their own naga.
There is a lot of praise to give to the Tensorate’s incredible worldbuilding, strong writing, and compelling character dynamics, but to be completely honest: Mokoya’s character just blew me away. I grew so incredibly close to this character, and their relationship with Rider, in just 200 pages. We get far more into Mokoya’s head than we did in the previous novella, and I genuinely adored every second.
Mokoya has been running ever since the death of her daughter with Thennjay. In order to save Bataanar, she needs to process her own grief. I found myself understanding every word of her experience.
Because he had always known, even as a child, that he was the lightning, while she was the fire in the core of planets. And the world needed both.
Because he had always known, even as a child, that he was the lightning, while she was the fire in the core of planets. And the world needed both. Revolutions needed both. Someone had to wield the knives, but someone also had to write the treaties.
Sanao Akeha is one of the two youngest twin children of the Protector, ruler of an oppressive government. Black Tides of Heaven follows a thirty-year period in their life as they come of age and begin to assert their own identity.
I have so many good things to say about this. The magic system of Tensorate is wonderful, resonating with me on a near-instinctual level. Additionally, the relationship between the twins, Akeha and Mokoya, is incredibly crafted. People in this world also select their own genders, something the book explores in a fascinating way—one sibling selects to be a man and one selects to be a woman, and the selection of this is is so interesting. I really enjoyed this elemental integration of worldbuilding.
I should disclaim that I accidentally read the second chronological novella in this series first, and I think its effect on my consumption of this novel was that I just wished I were rereading The Red Threads of Fortune. The thirty-year expanse of this novella made me feel as if I wanted more from various relationships - in particular the twins’ relationship with their mother, the Protector, and their sister, Sonami. Even Akeha’s relationships with his rebel lover Yongcheow, and the twin’s relationships with the Head Abbott, felt as if they could have been shown more. I wished for this novella to really focus on a shorter period, so we could get a full glimpse of the characters.
But in the midst of this critique, it should be said: Neon Yang is a truly fantastic writer. I’ll definitely be reading everything this author releases.
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