"whether he wants to or not, he belongs in the open. the world needs to see what a king he is."
so this is what carefully brilliant writing
"whether he wants to or not, he belongs in the open. the world needs to see what a king he is."
so this is what carefully brilliant writing looks like huh.
honestly, the king of attolia being structured in a way that keeps readers in the dark about what's really going on would've made it an extremely frustrating read under a less skillful hand. but megan whalen turner is a master of her craft. even with the thoughts and motivations of characters being deliberately hidden, i was completely invested and desperate to know the truth. i liked the subtle hints and how key pieces of information were revealed at just the right time.
eugenides is an endlessly fascinating character to me - exceptionally clever, humorous, misleading, disruptive, always a step ahead of everyone. i'll never get tired of seeing him execute his schemes and shocking everyone around him time and again. i also loved how his powerful, intelligent nature was contrasted with his pain, his love, his rage, and his inner turmoil about being king.
i think it's so interesting how this story centered around the interior conflict of the titular character was told almost entirely through exterior POVs. a bold choice that strangely worked. i wasn't sure how to feel about costis and his POV at first, but his journey from intense hate for the king to grudging respect to undying loyalty by the end was so satisfying. the ending itself was quite cathartic and rewarding.
also, gen and irene are such an unhinged couple and i'm kinda mad at how the author developed their entire relationship behind closed doors yet had me so engaged in them. but i still wish we could've had more on-page moments between them, and that we could've actually seen their thoughts and feelings about each other.
overall, this is court intrigue and drama at its finest with subtle writing and memorable characters....more
the complete 180 tonal shift from the first book to this one is pretty wild.
for a relatively short book, the queen of attolia is absolutely packed - pthe complete 180 tonal shift from the first book to this one is pretty wild.
for a relatively short book, the queen of attolia is absolutely packed - political machinations, scheming, war tactics, twisty plot, angst, powerful queens, an insane romance - and all of it rendered with care and skill. eugenides is such a compelling protagonist - he remains the flippant, scathing, clever thief we've known from the first book but here we get to see his pain, his fear, his mistakes, all his messy feelings and it makes him all the more likable. the queen of attolia herself is a fascinating, contentious character and i was torn between hating her and empathizing with her. i loved her backstory and her contrast with the queen of eddis. also, the last quarter of the book was so incredibly intense and beautifully executed, i was on the edge throughout.
as for the romance, it's definitely one of the strangest dynamics i've ever read about - on the verge of dark, toxic, uncomfortable. i'm not entirely sure how i feel about it but i'm really intrigued, i think it's handled well here and i can't wait to see it develop.
my only minor complaint is that the narrative keeps you quite distant from the characters and their inner thoughts, and yeah it's done for plot reasons but still not the kind of writing i normally prefer. apart from that, i'm excited for the rest of the series....more
i adored this underrated gem of a book, it's got everything i never knew i needed:
- queer friend group fighting against magic to save each other.4.5/5
i adored this underrated gem of a book, it's got everything i never knew i needed:
- queer friend group fighting against magic to save each other. - sharp, witty banter and just really fun group dynamics. - characters you want to hug and become bffs with (shoutout to my anxiety-ridden fave thomas). - gay and lesbian relationships (and lots of gay angst). - wlw and mlm best friendism. - vivid atmosphere that leaps off the page in all its grey, gloomy, stormy glory. - mysterious, page-turning plot. - fascinating scottish folklore.
also, i loved how cohesive the plot is, how even the smallest details come together in the end to make sense. my only complaint would be that i wish there was more emotional resolution towards the end, more apologies, more feelings, a little epilogue giving us a reassuring glimpse of the future. but i'm being greedy, i just wanted to spend more time with these characters.
overall, weak heart is a hilarious, heartbreaking, and hopeful magical queer book that i cannot recommend enough....more
"i thought it would be great if we could travel together like this for the rest of our lives."
i'm not even a cat person and this book had me shaki"i thought it would be great if we could travel together like this for the rest of our lives."
i'm not even a cat person and this book had me shaking, crying my eyes out and wanting a pet cat so i could have that same unbreakable bond that satoru and nana shared (and i'm gonna imagine my cat with the same snarky, hilarious inner monologue that nana has). ...more
this was just pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. the plot was tense, fast-paced and exciting, the humor was hit-or-miss but did make me smile at tithis was just pure adrenaline-fueled entertainment. the plot was tense, fast-paced and exciting, the humor was hit-or-miss but did make me smile at times, and i appreciated the underlying optimistic view on humanity running throughout this book.
but, while i was rooting hard for mark, i think his character was too unrealistic when it came to the psychological impact of his plight. making occasional jokes to alleviate a terrible situation makes sense but every single time??? this guy was abandoned on a whole deserted planet and we hardly get to see any psychological or emotional consequences. where's the fear, horror, pain, anxiety, desperation, loneliness?? if the author spent so much effort and research in creating a believable sci-fi plot, i expect believable human emotions as well.
despite my criticisms, i can't deny i had a lot of fun reading this and i like andy weir's tendency to go on rambling scientific explanations/scenarios even if i understand less than half of what he's saying. i loved seeing mark problem-solving his way into surviving on mars, it's so satisfying to see characters working hard to achieve their goals. the conflicts were interesting and engaging and i really enjoyed how stressful the climax was. the movie did a better job with the epilogue though.
overall, very addictive and entertaining, i might reread in the future. ...more
“think we’ll find more of them? intelligent species?” “who knows?” i say. “you and i found each other. that’s something.”
i went into project hail m“think we’ll find more of them? intelligent species?” “who knows?” i say. “you and i found each other. that’s something.”
i went into project hail mary expecting a save-the-earth survival interstellar adventure - and i definitely got that - but i didn't expect to get so emotionally impacted by an adorable, heartwarming friendship at the core of this book. ryland and rocky are my new favorite interspecies space bffs (ok my only favorite, whatever). their banter was naturally hilarious and i loved how far they were willing to go for each other.
also credit to andy weir for getting me so engrossed in a plot heavily based on math and physics and other science shit (speaking as a failed science student). i really enjoyed all the scientific explanations and conflicts and twists - never thought i'd get so tense over a bunch of microbes floating in space. the stakes were high, the climax was intense and gripping as hell, and i personally loved the unusual, somewhat bittersweet ending.
my only criticism is that the earth flashbacks got a bit too much after a certain point - i wanted to stay in space on the ship with rocky, not constantly be shoved back into ryland's past on earth. the humor in those flashbacks didn't work for me either and often cut into the tension building up in the main plot. but apart from that, really fun reading experience.
overall, this is easily one of my best reads of the year and i already miss reading it....more
this was so enjoyable to read, i never wanted it to end.
the goblin emperor shows the hesitant yet unfailingly selfless and empathetic rule of 184.5/5
this was so enjoyable to read, i never wanted it to end.
the goblin emperor shows the hesitant yet unfailingly selfless and empathetic rule of 18-year-old maia, the youngest forgotten half-goblin prince who unexpectedly becomes emperor after the murder of his father and brothers. i loved seeing anxious, insecure, socially awkward maia coming to grips with ruling an entire empire, and showing his kindness and compassion to a court and people unused to either. i loved seeing him slowly learning to navigate the intricacies of palace life and court intrigue, as well as his yearning for friendship and making connections with people around him. maia might just have become one of my favorite characters of all time.
another thing i loved was seeing maia trying to stay true to himself while grappling with the immense power suddenly handed to him, plus constantly making the choice to be kind amidst a palace thrust into chaos - i liked that kindness wasn't shown as an inherent trait but an active choice that maia had to make while fighting against the ugly thoughts that would often come to him.
i only have a couple of minor gripes: portraying the enemy barbarian tribe as albinos was quite unnecessary (even if their treatment was criticized in text). also, the book briefly shows the views of violent revolutionaries and why they felt radical action was needed to bring about change in an oppressive empire - while i appreciate that the author doesn't outright condemn the revolutionary group (unlike other fantasy books), i wish this plotline could've been fleshed out more.
overall, if you're into the idea of a mostly plotless character-driven story about court politics (and if you don't mind a dense difficult naming system), i cannot recommend this enough....more
"this is indeed a love story. down to the blade-dented bone."
one of the most incredible, original, unparalleled books i've ever read in m
"this is indeed a love story. down to the blade-dented bone."
one of the most incredible, original, unparalleled books i've ever read in my life.
this is extraordinary storytelling that breaks expectations and conventions to deliver us a fantasy story like it's rarely been told before. the spear cuts through water feels like a love letter to oral storytelling traditions passed down through generations. the narrative is like a performance in every sense - alongside the fact that the story is acted out as a play in a magical theatre, the writing style is raw, atmospheric, visceral, rhythmic. it absorbs you so easily into the magic and horror of this world that i feel like i've lived a lifetime with these characters in the old country.
the main plot is actually fairly straightforward: two young warriors are tasked with a quest to escort a dying god across a fractured land to end the tyrannical reign of an emperor and his sons. but the narrative goes through so many twists and turns and is, at its core, a love story between two violent, broken men. even through all the carnage and brutality, there's a love that continues to root the story in the promise of hope and redemption.
the character work is honestly stunning - i'm in awe of how simon jimenez manages to make us care for characters in just a handful of pages. i'm so attached to our main heroes and i love how we're taken through the lowest, ugliest points of their lives as well as their most joyful moments. keema and jun are going to stay with me for a long time.
and it's not just the protagonists - we get to hear snippets of thoughts from almost every single person who appears in the story, down to the most insignificant villager. these first-person style thoughts are interwoven so naturally into the narrative that it never feels like they're interrupting the tale - instead, they enhance the theatricality of the story, as if an entire cast of performers is narrating the events from the background.
there's a level of unhinged insanity here that i've missed reading in epic fantasy - the climax is heart-poundingly wild and the ending is so satisfying and emotional and beautiful, i could barely contain my feelings when i finished.
however, i can't emphasize enough: this is NOT a book for everyone. it's a heavy, dense story that requires you to be patient and open-minded and is simply not written for mass appeal. the story takes place on multiple layers of a story within a story. the narrative uses all three POVs (first, second and third) often at the same time and it does make for a challenging read. i won't lie, there were times i got frustrated with the narrative and where the plot was going. but ultimately for me, the challenge was worth it and the book rewards your efforts with a truly exceptional reading experience.
simon jimenez is in a league of his own and i can't wait to see what he does next.
cws: gore, torture, genocide, cannibalism, body horror, dismemberment, ableism
thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review...more
babel is by far the most ambitious historical fantasy book on colonialism and resistance that i've ever rthe rumors are true: it's pretty phenomenal.
babel is by far the most ambitious historical fantasy book on colonialism and resistance that i've ever read, and it surpassed all my expectations. i loved how the themes of colonial oppression, revolutions, worker revolts, violent resistance, and the power of language were tackled - and the way rf kuang managed to weave in an original magic system throughout all these themes is honestly brilliant.
the prose is packed to the brim with commentary and taking apart complex themes - it makes the reader work but it also presents itself in a straightforward, easy manner. some people might not like just how straightforward and lacking in subtlety the themes are but i loved it - in my opinion, this is exactly how the ugly truth of colonialism should be written: blunt, unsubtle, upfront, so that no one can look away or hide from it. i like how babel confronts violence of the oppressed - so often fantasy books on colonialism shy away from the reality of violent resistance (and fall into the trap of completely vilifying it) but babel approaches it with honesty and understanding. i also love how student revolution is shown here: knowing the sheer impossibility of fighting against the colonial empire, and trying anyways.
not only does this book set out to examine revolutions but it revolutionizes the dark academia genre itself: THIS is my standard for dark academia now - a book that oozes with passion for academia while recognizing its brutal colonial roots, a book that showcases all the wonder and struggles and small horrors of student life. the writing is so immersive, i felt like i was walking the streets of 1830s Oxford, sitting beside the characters in the classrooms, learning new subjects and debates, stressing out during the ruthless exam period.
i never thought i'd be this captivated by discussions on translation theory and linguistics and how it all ties into imperialism but babel makes sure to leave the reader just as fascinated with these topics as the characters (and author) are.
i'm also in awe of the unique translation-based magic system rf kuang created - silverworking is so intricate and grounded into the world it genuinely felt real to me. we get to see how this magic ties into the economy and geopolitics of britain's colonial empire and how it's used in the vicious exploitation of countries - but most of all, i love how silverworking shows the beauty of different languages and cultures.
a note on the footnotes: so so good, i always looked forward to them - loved the historical tidbits and interesting anecdotes they contained.
as for the characters, we get a cast of distinct personalities and varied backgrounds. if there's one thing rf kuang knows how to do, it's write an undeniably compelling, sympathetic protagonist who you can't help but root for. robin swift has my whole heart - i was with him every step of the way; every decision he made, every stance he took, every hurt he felt, i understood and was always on his side. robin's fear of losing his mother tongue is something that particularly struck me - honestly, this book had me reflecting on my own relationship with my mother tongue and culture.
of course no book is perfect and where babel stumbles for me is with the side characters. don't get me wrong, i did love them - ramy, griffin, and eventually victoire were my favorites (also, i have to appreciate the author for writing such a respectful portrayal of a practicing muslim character who takes pride in his religion and culture). however, the way certain character arcs ended up left me really frustrated and dissatisfied - the author clearly favored plot and themes over developing certain characters and while i understand rf kuang is more of a theme-driven writer, it was still maddening to see. letty and victoire are an example of this: although i get letty's role in showing the more insidious forms racism can take, i think she got way too much page time that victoire deserved instead (or was this a meta look at how white people take up space that should've been given to others??).
ultimately, even my frustrations felt worth it - because what an incredible ending that was. those last couple of pages really put my emotions through the wringer; it was so gutting and so beautifully written, i'm still trying to process.
rf kuang has accomplished something magnificent here - this book is going to stay with me for a long time....more
never thought i'd get this emotional over a platonic relationship between a violent sentient ship and a perpetually grumpy android but here we are.
thnever thought i'd get this emotional over a platonic relationship between a violent sentient ship and a perpetually grumpy android but here we are.
this novel had everything i love about the murderbot series and more: murderbot and ART's volatile friendship, effortlessly funny sarcastic narrative style, casually queer world, fulfilling emotional development, compelling plot and action scenes.
plus the moment murderbot realizes just how much its human (and machine) friends care about it is so beautiful.
murderbot and ART's hilariously antagonistic yet strangely caring friendship means everything to me. i want them to keep going on adventures while snimurderbot and ART's hilariously antagonistic yet strangely caring friendship means everything to me. i want them to keep going on adventures while snipping at each other and watching dramas together. ...more
no one does endearing, harrowing, uplifting sci-fi found family stories quite like becky chambers. this was more of a quiet intimate character st4.5/5
no one does endearing, harrowing, uplifting sci-fi found family stories quite like becky chambers. this was more of a quiet intimate character study compared to the first book and i enjoyed it just as much....more
janloon will forever be one of my favorite fantasy settings ever and this novella further cemented that. loved the glimpse we get into the less glamorjanloon will forever be one of my favorite fantasy settings ever and this novella further cemented that. loved the glimpse we get into the less glamorous, simpler, darker side of the city with main characters who aren't clan warriors. i also appreciate the somewhat different perspective we're given on the green bone clans through the eyes of an ordinary citizen. and of course, loved seeing cameos of old, beloved characters again.
fonda lee's worldbuilding remains as immaculate as always. really enjoyed this story!
thank you to netgalley for providing an advanced copy....more
"in this life of mine, i'm so glad that i could have you as my wife"
bless this author for always delivering complex, ruthless, morally gre
"in this life of mine, i'm so glad that i could have you as my wife"
bless this author for always delivering complex, ruthless, morally grey women in love with each other.
read this novel for: - murderous lesbian x manipulative lesbian ship. - intriguing palace politics. - military strategies + battle scenes. - lin wanyue - i loved how unflinchingly brutal she was when she needed to be but also soft, kind, and a bit naïve at the same time. the emotional depth of her journey was so well done - i was hooked on her from the start. one of my all time favorite characters.
admittedly, i wasn't as big a fan of li xian - her motivations weren't as compelling to me as lin wanyue's - but she did eventually grow on me (even if it took longer than i would've liked). i was also unsure about the romance for most of the book, mainly because it was too one-sided for way too long - but the last few chapters and the extras won me over.
i'm so glad this is getting an official physical publication, the author really deserves it. ...more
this is an absolutely wonderful debut - honestly a joy to read and made me feel so much.
- kaikeyi is a fantastic protagonist with a strong narrative vthis is an absolutely wonderful debut - honestly a joy to read and made me feel so much.
- kaikeyi is a fantastic protagonist with a strong narrative voice that really absorbs you into her story. the author did a great job in getting us to understand her and sympathize for her. - the novel takes us through several years of kaikeyi's life - we get to watch her grow up from a brash, determined kid to a fiercely resolute, tough young woman and i loved it. - the familial relationships were excellently done - i adored kaikeyi's relationships with her sons, husband, fellow wives, and especially her twin brother yudhajit. - loved how unique the magic was - creative, simple to understand, and we get to learn more about it alongside kaikeyi. - impressive storytelling for a debut with a beautifully vivid writing style. - really appreciate the feminist twist to the original myth.
i do have a few issues with the last third of this book - i wish the events towards the end could've been stretched out more and that the author could've taken us to the end of the original epic. i also got frustrated with some of the characters' decisions and reactions, which felt irrational and unnecessarily overdramatic to me (though i can't really blame the author because it was pretty much in line with the myth). plus, i wish certain characters got to face harsher consequences for their actions and that we got more of a payoff for the conflict.
despite all that, i loved reading this book - felt so many emotions, even got choked up at certain scenes.
so if you're into the idea of a feminist, queer retelling of one of the most villainized women in hindu mythology, this is it. highly recommend!
(disclaimer: i went into this book with only a wikipedia-level knowledge of the ramayana so can't comment too much on the changes made to the original myth. do check out hindu readers' reviews).
rep: aro/ace main character
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
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