lilareviewsbooks - Tumblr blog

lilareviewsbooks · 8 months

Text

The Goblin Emperor 5/5: I’m Bored and I’m Having So Much Fun

5/5 stars

446 pages

Contains: an emperor that doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing; kindness as like a plot point; court intrigue!!!

The Goblin Emperor has been on my TBR for years, now. I’d heard someone say, a long time ago, that it was a weird book, and that “you’ve never read something like this before”. Of course, my curiosity was piqued. I love weird, funky little books, that turn you upside down and shake you a bit, especially if they’re speculative fiction. So The Goblin Emperor went into my TBR, until this month, when the mood to read it finally struck me and I sat down with it.

But The Goblin Emperor is not best described by “weird”, in my opinion, nor is “uneventful” a good descriptor, either. I think those of you who have read the book will agree with me that there are several big events throughout the story that capture your attention and are major turning points for the characters. However, it’s impossible to avoid, when recommending this, the fact that it is… boring?

Let me be clear: I don’t mean this in a bad way, at all – I had so much fun reading The Goblin Emperor. Nor am I using it to suggest that Ms. Addison’s writing choices were inadequate. I’m using this word because I think it’s the best way to describe what happens here.

I’ll explain myself: it’s not that nothing happens in The Goblin Emperor, but the pacing is slow. And not in a bad way – things just take their time. We follow our main character in an almost day-by-day basis. We watch him wake up, have breakfast… And at the end of the day, we are with him as he puts on his pajamas and goes to bed.

And then there is the fact that Ms. Addison takes what I called an “almost anthropological approach to describing culture” in my review of the Teixcalaani Duology, by Arkady Martine. Much like Ms. Martine does in her two books, A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace, Ms. Addison takes her time to consider every move in its cultural context. If, in A Memory Called Empire, the most striking element of this approach is the Teixcalaani smile, which differs from how other parts of the world chose to do so, here we see this attention to detail in the elvish language.

In this world, “we” is the default first person singular. It’s the formal “I”, and “you” is the formal second person singular. Watching these characters drop this formality barrier or decide to put it up makes for a beautiful addition to the dialogue and character relationships throughout the book. It also, of course, tells us much about this world and this culture, which is bound tightly by strings of formality and tradition. (And is also a reflection of how other languages work, in the real world. French, Italian and Spanish, for example, have formal yous, as I’m sure other non-European languages do, too. This makes me super curious to see how this quirk was translated in languages that already have this as a feature. If anyone knows, please tell me!)

This almost-anthropological lens, however, adds a stillness to the story that makes it move slower, taking more time in each of the character’s movements. Which, in turn, makes this book a little more boring.

But, like I said, this is boring in a good way. This stillness, this slowness, allows us to spend ample time with our characters, really getting to know them. And the world sparkles around them, made so vivid by this attention to detail, this approach to a fictional culture. It feels alive outside of the pages, like we’ve only popped in for a visit, and the clock will continue ticking when we’re not there.

But the crux of the story, and the reason why it needs to slow down, the most, is our protagonist, Maia. Maia is the youngest, half-goblin son of the elvish Emperor, who scorns him. He is secluded to a remote location with his cousin Setheris, until a messenger arrives – the Emperor and all his other sons have died in a freak accident, meaning Maia has inherited the throne. With no education in politics and no friends, Maia journeys to court, where he will learn to rule.

And although he’s put in this position of power, and finds himself, in several ways, helpless and dependent on others, Maia never loses his kindness. He’s a generous soul who strives to make decisions for the good of others, and this is the axis around which the rest of the plot moves, slowly, forwards.

To really understand this kindness, to dig into it and be aware of its various implications, its causes, it’s necessary to spend quite a while in the company of Maia, as he blunders forward. And what a journey it is! I’ll tell you, “boring” might be a good word to describe this book, but so is “compelling”. When it hooks you, it hooks you, and it leaves you wanting to bury yourself further and further into this world, to know more, to spend more time with Maia, and find out all the intricacies of his language.

Thank you for reading this review! I’m working on a list of similar books, which will be called something like “Books for Humanities Nerds”, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, keep an eye out! Have a nice day :)

#the goblin emperor #tge #sff books #books books books #currently reading #fantasy books #cozy fantasy #book recs #book recommendations #book reviews #booklr

81 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 8 months

Text

tindwyl is literally queer-eye-ing the fuck out of elend where i am rn in well of ascension and im living for it like slay queen yas mama

#brandon sanderson #mistborn

1 note · View note

lilareviewsbooks · 8 months

Text

confession time i’m almost falling asleep w all the fight scenes in well of ascension 😔

#mistborn #brandon sanderson

1 note · View note

lilareviewsbooks · 9 months

Text

Books for Good Omens fans!

Are you emotionally scarred by the ending of season 2? Is the wait for season 3 going to be excruciating for you? Are you looking for something that’ll fill those voids? Look no further, Good Omens fan! I have some media for you to consume!

The Tea Dragon Series, starting with The Tea Dragon Society, by K. O’Neil

71 pages (first book)

Contains: tea magic!; a cute sapphic romance; queer rep all around :)

If you like Good Omens because of how fluffy it can be (though that season finale was not fluffy), I highly recommend this series! The Tea Dragon Society is a comic book trilogy following Greta, who is swept into the world of caring for tea dragons, tiny little creatures that grow tea leaves on their foreheads.

As is the case with Good Omens, this trilogy includes a lot of queer representation. It’s written by a non-binary author, K. O’Neil, who introduces us to queer characters of all identities. Also much like Good Omens, there is no discussion of homophobia or transphobia. There’s also a sapphic romance between Greta and her love interest, which is very sweet! This is perfect if you need a pick-me-up after season 2, and if the fluffier aspects of Good Omens are your favorites!

The Greenhollow Duology, starting with a Silver In The Wood, by Emily Tesh

112 pages (first book)

Contains: the fae!!; enchanted woods; middle-aged gay people!!

If what brings you joy in Good Omens is it’s middle-aged leads, I give you Silver in the Wood, and its companion Drowned Country. These two stories are quite episodic – much like Crowley and Aziraphale’s little adventures – and feature a pair of middle-aged men who fall in love against the backdrop of supernatural things afoot.

Apart from representing the older portion of the queer community, The Greenhollow Duology is also brilliantly written and very atmospheric. It will place you inside the cottage where most of the action happens, and you will be able to feel the magic in the air. Both of the books are novellas, and so are quite short reads you can enjoy whenever!

A Series of Unfortunate Events, starting with The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket

176 pages (first book)

Contains: adults that are incompetent; children that are very competent; quirky writing!

If your favorite aspect of Good Omens is its quirkiness, I give you: A Series of Unfortunate Events! This middle-grade series follows a trio of siblings as they are passed from distant relative to distant relative after their parents’ mysterious death, all the while being chased by the evil Count Olaf.

This series reminds me of Good Omens for its tongue-in-cheek humor. Mr. Snicket is a master at metatextual comedy, that is, making jokes about the text itself. I’ve always had a lot of fun reading his writing! A TV show adaptation of this series has been made, and it’s on Netflix, but I haven’t watched it all the way through and can’t speak to how good it is, but it’s worth a shot if you’re feeling like watching something! Though I have to warn you: no gay people here :(

A Master of Djinn, by P. Djeli Clark

438 pages

Contains: alternate history; a steampunk Cairo; muslim rep!!

A Master of Djinn is for those among you who want to see gay people save the world. I give you: gay people saving the world. This one follows Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities in an alternate, steampunk-y Cairo, where magic was brought to life by mage Al-Jahiz, many years ago. Fatma is faced with a mysterious murder and must join forces with her lover Siti to find out what happened – except it’s waaay more complicated than it seems…

I think this reminds me of Good Omens the most because there’s a very cool dynamic between Siti and Fatma. Much like Crowley and Aziraphale, they have opposing views on a lot of things, religion for instance, and must reconcile that with their love for one another. They’re also very much ride-or-die for each other, and go on many supernatural adventures together, just like our favorite couple in Good Omens! It also features elements of fantasy being woven into a “normal” world, in this case even affecting history as we know it, to build an alternate reality!

But, be warned: there is discussion of homophobia and sexism in this book!

This is part of larger universe, namely the Dead Djinn Universe, which includes two other novellas. You can read them in this order, or choose to start with A Master of Djinn. The novel is self-contained and will explain everything you need to know!

The Mimicking of Known Successes, by Malka Older

169 pages

Contains: a murder mystery; a second chance romance; humans living on one of Jupiter’s moons!

Another one for gay people who just like a nice couple they can follow around as they unravel some intrigue, and who were desperately infatuated with “detective Aziraphale”: The Mimicking of Known Successes is a Sherlock Holmes-like story following Pleiti and Mossa, a couple of ex-girlfriends whose paths cross again when Mossa begins investigating a mysterious murder. This one takes place on a human colony in one of Jupiter’s moons, but, apart from that, is not very hard sci-fi. There’s not really any science-y bits that I can remember. Mostly, it’s just a murder mystery, but set in space!

It’s perfect for Good Omens fans who love following a couple with a long history. Not to mention, it also has an almost grumpy/sunshine dynamic that kinda reminds me of Crowley and Aziraphale. And since I know most of us Good Omens fans were once deep in the Sherlock trenches, I thought I’d add this one to cure your heart’s many, many wounds (oh, Steven Moffatt… One day, one day you will pay…)

This is not currently part of a series, but a second novella, The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, will be published in 2024.

That’s all I got, everyone! If you’d like some more books that, just like Good Omens, don’t delve into homophobia or transphobia, I have a whole list of books that fit the bill! :)

#good omens #good omens 2 #queer sff #sff books #fantasy books #sci fi books #queer books #book recommendations #book reviews #the mimicking of known successes #a master of djinn #the tea dragon society #the greenhollow duology #series of unfortunate events

30 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 9 months

Text

Some Desperate Glory - 5/5: Awful Main Characters Are Good, Actually

5/5 stars

438 pages

Contains: a very sweet alien; an awful main character (but you already knew that!); a redemption arc!

I’ve been waiting for Some Desperate Glory before it was even announced. That’s because I’ve been obsessed with Emily Tesh’s Greenhollow Duology since I first read it, quite a while ago. Ever since, I’ve been waiting for the announcement of her debut novel, and wondering about how lush, queer and beautifully mythological it was going to be.

Some Desperate Glory definitely defied my expectations. The Greenhollow Duology is a series of two novellas that explores two middle-aged men who fall in love, and deal with the ancient forces of the forest where they live. I was expecting something more or less along the same vein. Instead, I got a sci-fi following a teenager, Valkyrie, or Kyr. There were no lush forests with European mythological figures and two middle-aged men. There were aliens, and space-ships and something called “shadow-space”.

It was amazing, nonetheless.

All I knew about Some Desperate Glory when I picked it up, was that it was a. by Emily Tesh; and b. described as a space opera. Those two things took me somewhere else completely from Ms. Tesh’s actual planned course, which left me feeling like I was drifting out in space, with no direction. But that’s hardly a bad way to experience this book. It unfolds as a sort of weird choose-your-own-adventure, as you can clearly see that each character’s choices lead us somewhere different. Reading it blindly leaves you guessing at which choice will be the crucial one, and will open up the universe that is this story.

I say “universe” because Some Desperate Glory tackles many things at once. As always, whenever a story tries to do that, I don’t think every single point is addressed masterfully, or anything of the sort. But I do think this work manages to justify the things it doesn’t explore too deeply, by placing the reader’s undivided attention on the topic at hand for a split second. That allows the universe of the book to expand beyond the actual words on the page. A reader can go back, reread past chapters and examine how that issue was treated, how characters reacted to it, and judge it for themselves.

I think this is where Some Desperate Glory gets misunderstood. Our point of view is Kyr’s, an unreliable protagonist, whose ideas are questioned throughout the novel. Her character arc is remarkable, and feels natural, as she more-or-less deprograms herself from a cult-like ideology. This is beautifully woven into a story that is action packed, and full of vivid characters, whose dialogue jumps off the page.

However, not everyone seems to get this. I saw a GoodReads comment on a review that read, more or less, “I DNF’ed because of the main character’s transphobic and homophobic views”. This, of course, misses the point of the novel, which follows Kyr’s journey as she stops being transphobic and homophobic. It also, frankly, – and not to be rude about it – shows an unbelievable lack of reading comprehension, as the book clearly starts with a warning on how there will be disturbing content. It includes a list describing said content, numbering transphobia and homophobia alongside other trigger warnings. It’s obvious by the first page that the book doesn’t condone any of this, and simply has a main character that sucks – a concept that seems strange to some people, as if main characters can’t be awful people without the author and their project being awful as well.

My experience is quite the opposite: I think writing morally grey or downright despicable protagonists or side characters takes a talented artist working very hard to get them to be awful but still likable, or compelling. And I think Ms. Tesh hit the nail on the head when she wrote Kyr, by making her someone clearly awful, and yet interesting from the start. Even before Kyr begins her transformation, she’s a compelling protagonist - she’s so fucked up you can’t help but look at her.

And that, I think, alongside its stellar supporting cast, is the reason why Some Desperate Glory succeeds. It’s not afraid of the ugly, of the bad, and yet manages to deliver a hopeful message. Some Desperate Glory is surprising in its direction, compelling in its themes and riveting in its many twists and turns. It shines with its protagonist’s hate-ability, and her compelling arc, not to mention any dialogue that appears on page. And it ends with a tearful sequence, which drives its point of hope home.

I’d recommend this to everyone, especially queer SFF fans who like being slightly confused and don’t mind discussions of queerphobia. Unless, of course, you’re going to get bothered by the fact that the characters kinda suck. Then I think you should pick a different book.

If you’d like more gay people that suck, you should definitely check out my “Books With Morally Grey Gay People” post! :) Have a nice day!

#some desperate glory #emily tesh #queer sff #queer books #lgbtq books #sff books #queer sff books #book review #Book Recommendations #currently reading #books books books #scifi books

8 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 9 months

Text

July Reading Wrap-Up

Hey, everyone! Last month I forgot to post a wrap-up, so, to make up for it, here’s what I read in July, on time! My fav this month was definitely the Trials of Apollo quintet, which was just so much fun! More on that after the “read more” :)

Who Could It Be At This Hour?, by Lemony Snicket

4 stars

258 pages

Contains: incompetent adults; really smart kids; a mystery

I read this for the first time when I was a kid, after loving A Series of Unfortunate Events. I remember really loving this, although I never finished the series because I couldn’t find the books in my native Brazil. I decided to listen to the audiobook again, as I was craving middle grade this month! It follows Lemony Snicket himself (the author’s name is pseudonym) as he begins his initiation into a secret society by teaming up with a mentor (who is terrible at her job) to solve a mystery in a run-down little town.

It ended up being a pretty good experience. The narration is very expressive and so on that side I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that involved by the mystery itself – and I didn’t remember anything from when I first read it, at all, so that wasn’t the problem, here. But the characters and the writing style are just too charming for you not to fall a little bit in love with the book. And, as always, with Mr. Snicket’s books, I just love how absolutely and utterly incompetent any adult is, and how qualified and smart all the children are. Honestly, in the real world, things are kind of like that, anyway!

How Far The Light Reaches: A Life In Ten Sea Creatures, by Sabrina Imbler

3 stars

272 pages

Contains: depictions of sea animals; discussions of sapphic life; discussions of gender

I read this because it was the non-fiction pick for SapphLit, a sapphic book club I’m a part of (and that you should totally join, if you’re sapphic, because it’s so cool!). I was really interested, at first. I’m really scared of the deep ocean, so I thought it would be kind of fun to read these essays and maybe get a little bit creeped out – even if it wasn’t the author's intention that I was creeped out lmao.

Unfortunately, this really didn’t do it for me. I found the structure repetitive. Mx. Imbler interlocks descriptions of sea life with their own experience, making some sort of comparison between her situation and an aspect of that creature’s life. By the tenth time they’ve done it, in the exact same way, though, you are more than tired. I was expecting some diversity, some innovation, but no… All the essays play out exactly the same. That’s not to say there aren’t interesting ideas, here, but the format they’re in is disappointing, and I wanted more from this.

Before They Are Hanged, by Joe Abercrombie

5 stars

441 pages

Contains: a quest for… wait, we don’t know what they’re questing for!; fun characters!!; the weirdest sex scene you’ve ever read in your life

If any of you read my The Blade Itself review, the first book in the First Law Trilogy, I think you’ll be surprised by my rating of this one. I did not like The Blade Itself that much, and struggled to even finish it, skipping over multiple parts, especially the fight scenes, just to get it out of the way. I didn’t think I’d continue on with this series, but the urge hit me this month to see the characters again, and I decided to try this one out. Luckily, I also had the audiobook, which gave me a totally immersive experience – the audiobook is excellent, by the way! – and helped with my overall enjoyment.

I think my favorite thing about this series has always been the characters, and they shine, here, since they actually have something to do. My problem with The Blade Itself was that it felt like endless, endless set up. Nothing really happens. Now, reading Before They Are Hanged, I can say for sure that was it. The story really starts, for most of the characters, in this second installment, and so I wonder if Mr. Abercrombie couldn’t have done it differently. But, regardless of my problems with The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged is just so fun. Truly a triumph! And I highly, highly recommend!

The Moth Keeper, by K. O’Neil

5 stars

265 pages

Contains: a very sweet village; gorgeous art; gay people!!

Oh my God, I finally got my hands on a copy of The Moth Keeper! Thank you Boston Public Library, you will always be famous!

K. O’Neil is my favorite graphic novel artist. Their work with The Tea Dragon Society just blew me away, and I was anxiously awaiting this book. It follows Anya, who lives in nocturnal village where the population depends on magical moths, guarded by the Moth Keeper, a job Anya hopes to have. But the journey to do so might not be so easy, after all.

I loved this one especially because of the beautiful art! I just adore Mx. O’Neil’s art style. The story is also just so hopeful and lovely! I love the tone that they manage to impart here, almost as if this is an ancient myth being told to you in a more approachable form. I’m excited to read it again, soon, as see what else I can glean from this wonderful graphic novel!

The Bone Orchard, by Sara A. Mueller

2.5 stars

432 pages

Contains: gothic elements; ghosts? Kinda?; necromancy

Okay, so this one… This one is hard to explain. Basically, it follows Charm, the emperor’s mistress and a necromancer, who has created various “bone-ghosts”. Together, they live in a mansion called Orchid House, where they run a brothel. When the emperor dies, however, Charm is enlisted to solve the murder…

I wanted to like this one so, so much! Unfortunately, it was just incredibly confusing in… not a good way. I couldn’t get involved with the characters or the story, because it was all shrouded in this not-so-cool mystery. It was just so, so confusing that you couldn’t even get into it because you had no idea what was going on on a deeper level. It’s also not a murder mystery at all – more like a political thriller, but the politics are too confusing to actually follow, important things happen off-screen and the importance of certain factors to the story ebb and flow (sometimes money is important, sometimes it absolutely isn’t, for example). Still, the writing was compelling and some parts were fun, so I ended up giving it three stars.

The Jewel and Her Lapidary, by Fran Wilde

3 stars

89 pages

Contains: a very unique magic system; a female… friendship? Are they gay? What’s going on with my girls?; the invasion of a kingdom

Also a hard one to summarize, since it’s so short, but this one follows Lin, a member of the royal family, and her sworn companion, the lapidary Sima, when their kingdom is attacked.

I enjoyed this. The magic system is fantastically unique, focusing on jewels as the sources of magic. However, the plot didn’t really do it for me. It was too nicely tied up, with not enough conflict. The character development also seemed all over the place. So I had trouble giving it over 3 stars. However, I like the universe very much – especially because of the magic system which is, like I said, completely unique, and totally took me by surprise. I think I’ll read the next books in the series, since they don’t follow the same characters. I’ll come right back with the results!

The Trials of Apollo Quintet, by Rick Riordan

The Hidden Oracle; The Dark Prophecy; The Burning Maze; The Tyrant’s Tomb & The Tower of Nero

All 5 stars

Av. of 350 pages (X 5 = av. of 1750 pages)

Contains: a chaotic 12-year-old; strong friendships; discussions of abusive family

Alright: this was it, the grand attraction of my month! I blew through the entire series over the course of like, a week, while I was on a family trip, and had the time of my life!

So, first off, if you’re not a Percy Jackson veteran, let me explain this series to you: The Trials of Apollo Quintet follows – can you say it with me – the god Apollo as he’s cast down to Earth for the third time to live out some trials as a human. And soon, he finds himself implicated in some business involving stolen oracles, roman emperors and a very grumpy 12-year-old. Just delightful older-middle grade!

(Careful, though! If The Trials of Apollo sounds interesting to you, I’m terribly sorry to inform you that it’s a continuation to the Percy Jackson series, and that you do need to read that (5 books) and The Heroes of Olympus series (5 books) before continuing on with this one. And yes, it’s absolutely necessary. Sorry!)

The Trials of Apollo was a lovely experience! The adventures are divided into bite-sized, 350 page books, all with a central quest and prophecy, and, as always with Rick Riordan, are riddled with obscure creatures and gods from Roman and Greek mythology, mixed with some pop-culture flair and plenty of good humor! Reading this put me right back in my Percy Jackson phase (where I belong) as well as took me way, way back, to my first time reading Mr. Riordan’s books.

Even though The Trials of Apollo didn’t end how I hoped, I really appreciate Mr. Riordan’s work on Apollo’s character. His relationships, especially with his constant companion Meg, are remarkable, and evolve nicely along with him. Not to mention, the gayness factor has been upped considerably in this universe, and I just think that’s neat.

Thank you all for reading and I’ll come back next month with more updates :) In the mean time, if you need a SFF book rec, drop me an ask and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

#booklr #reading wrap up #currently reading #fantasy books #queer sff #queer books #sff books #book recs #toa #trials of apollo #percy jackson #first law trilogy #lemony snicket #sabrina imbler #the bone orchard #fran wilde #the jewel and her lapidary #the moth keeper #k o neil

6 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 9 months

Text

Goodbye (...) I forgive you. Not because you deserve it. Not for your sake at all. But because I will not go into oblivion carrying hate, when I can carry love.

The Tyrant's Tomb, Rick Riordan

#book recommendations #books #fantasy books #sff books #booklr #queer books #book recs #currently reading #the trials of apollo #pjo hoo toa #toa #this is exactly what it feels like to forgive an abuser #rick riordan u had no right

4 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 10 months

Text

Books With Morally Grey Gay People for Pride Month (Except, I'm Late)

Happy Late Pride, everyone! I'm sure many of you, like me, are tired of reading about perfect gay people doing everything right – you want some chaos in your stories! You want some problematic gays! So, even though I missed the end of Pride Month by about two days – and as a reminder that every month is Pride Month! –I've compiled a list of 5 books that have something super cool about them: their gays are bananas, complex as fuck and ready to wreck hell.

The Masquerade Series, starting with The Tyrant Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson

This is one I've read recently and haven't gotten over just yet. The Masquerade Series is a triumph. This series follows Baru Cormorant, a young girl from the island nation of Taranoke, who watches her country be colonized by the hugely powerful Masquerade Empire. After one of her fathers is killed for being queer, Baru decides to join a Masquerade school and destroy the Empire from the inside out. Soon, she is being sent to unruleable Aurdwynn, where she is to be the Imperial Accountant. And things get very, very complicated from there.

Baru is an incredibly complex, ever-changing character surrounded by a cast of other complex, ever-changing figures – and most of them are queer! In fact, I think the only drawback for The Masquerade Series is that it can be a little too complex. But the payoff is amazing, and so worth it – especially in this first book, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant. And don't even worry about it – Baru & co. will cause more than enough harm in their way, making them an essential addition to the "problematic queers" packet.

The Locked Tomb Series, starting with Gideon The Ninth, by Tasmyn Muir

You've probably heard of The Locked Tomb Series if you spend a little bit of time on queer SFF booklr, but it's never too much recommending when it comes to this series.

It's very hard to explain what goes on in The Locked Tomb. The first book, Gideon The Ninth, follows our butch lesbian star Gideon as she is enlisted to become the sworn swords-woman to Harrowhark Nonagesimus, and they’re summoned to the First House to compete to become Lyctors, the companions of God. The first book plays out as murder mystery, while the next ones all devise creative ways to tell this story, which grows more and more complex. As the plot thickens, so does the complexity of our characters. They shine through in these novels, as their unapologetic queer selves, in this universe where homo and transphobia don't exist – refreshingly. But, as is the theme here, they don't always make the moral choice. In fact, The Locked Tomb is filled to the brim with crazy queers who do the most insane, deranged things. And Tasmyn Muir's complicated, intriguing writing will get you completely hooked and desperate to know what happens next with our problematic queers!

The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw

I feel like The Salt Grows Heavy is severely underrated. It just needs to be better known! This is a horror twist on The Little Mermaid, and follows a siren and a plague doctor, the only survivors of a destroyed kingdom, as they go on the run, and the creepy things they find along the way. Now, although our queers aren't exactly villains, they aren't exactly the most moral of people. And their deep feelings of anger, for instance, permeate every page of this book. Mx. Khaw's writing style perfectly captures this, as they weave a tapestry of purple prose that keeps you hooked – I wasn't able to put this novella down from the moment I started until I finished it. Hopefully, you'll have as intense of an experience! She Who Became The Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan

Another must for your problematic queer needs: She Who Became The Sun is a multi-POV story spanning two different nuclei. One follows Monk Zhu, who assumes her brother’s identity, sure that she is destined for greatness, and the people she meets in her quest to achieve this. Another focuses on Ouyang, an eunuch general who serves – and is lowkey in love with – Esen, the son of a province’s Prince, and the war they’re involved in. Zhu and Ouyang are the most chaotic of protagonists – and their decisions are morally grey, at best. The best part is that they arrive there very naturally – Mx. Parker-Chan is a master at character development, taking you from A to B smoothly. Plus, their writing is absolutely fantastic. She Who Became The Sun is a stunning debut and it is definitely worth all the hype! I'd hop on the train now, before He Who Drowned The World, the sequel, comes out in August!

The Monster of Elendhaven, by Jennifer Giesbrecht

Another novella, this one follows a monster and the man who controls him, exploring their complicated relationship. It's hard not to spoil it, but rest assured that these gay people do the craziest, most morally corrupt things you can imagine! What I enjoyed the most about The Monster of Elendhaven is its readability. I remember flying through this in a single sitting. The writing style reminds a little bit of The Salt Grows Heavy in the sense that it leans into the gruesome, but keeps itself very lyrical! Not to mention, the build up for the toxicity of their relationship is absolutely masterfully done, and I loved every single second of it.

That's all I have, guys, but if you want more queer books, I'd definitely check out my Queer Normal-World Books, where I've compiled some stories with no queerphobia in them!

#queer sff #queer sff books #fantasy books #scifi books #queer fantasy books #queer scifi books #queer booklr #booklr #book review #book recs #morally grey characters #tlt #the locked tomb #the masquerade #ttbc #she who became the sun #jennifer giesbrecht #cassandra khaw

62 notes · View notes

lilareviewsbooks · 11 months

Text

I'm upset about "The Grace of Kings"

1 star

640 pages

Contains: I’m not even going to tell you because I don’t recommend you read this

This is a negative review! I'd very much not recommend reading it if you're emotionally invested in this series or if it has brought you any kind of joy. I'll be complaining about this book a lot. I'm sorry, but I really didn't like it!

I went into The Grace of Kings thinking I was going to become obsessed with this series. I’d heard very, very good things from reviewers I trust, all saying this is a series of epic proportions that engulfs you and draws you in. People even called it “unique”. Plus, I’d listened, last year, to Mr. LeVar Burton reading Mr. Liu’s famous The Paper Menagerie, and was moved to tears by that short story. I was ready to be dazzled.

I’m guessing that by my star rating you can infer that I was not dazzled.

The Grace of Kings has one of the most pitiful excuses for writing I have ever read. Especially after finishing a lyrical series, like Mr. Seth Dickinson’s brilliant The Masquerade Series, it’s almost impossible to enjoy Mr. Liu’s painfully dry writing style. It’s predictable and boring, leaving no room for nuance. This bleeds into the characterization, as we’re repeatedly told things about these characters we have – painful, dreadful – 600 pages to spend time with.

For instance, the author will show the audience that a character is picking up a bowl of rice. The next sentence is almost always, “he had picked up the rice bowl because he was very hungry, and hated being hungry”, explaining to us the character’s actions. This is, of course, perfectly fine if done in moderation, but dreadful when done frequently. And this is what Mr. Liu does: every decision gets explained, every thought is told to the audience. Absolutely nothing is left to the imagination. This makes the book boring and almost child-like, as it grabs you by the shoulders and painfully reminds you of why certain characters do certain things, as if it didn’t trust you to remember anything about these people you’ve spent so much time reading about.

But the writing misdemeanors don’t stop there. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a published piece of fiction that had multiple reviewers before being put out to the public, but the punctuation is just awful. It's not expressive at all, which causes most of the dialogue to read like it's being spoken in a monotone voice. Actually, no, maybe that's the fault of the dialogue itself, which is as dry as a desert and elicited absolutely no reactions from me even in its throes to be endearing, romantic or funny.

In addition, there are just funky little beginner mistakes. There are words repeated inside sentences, and I once ran into a sentence that had two clauses beginning in "because", one following the other. Plus, chapters end in odd places. Not in a way meant to enact suspense, or a cliff-hanger – though if Mr. Liu was trying to do so, he failed spectacularly – but just… ending. Out of nowhere. Leaving me to turn my pages in alarm, wondering if Amazon forgot to ship me an end to my chapter.

The characters are… fine, I guess, but like most of this book they feel half-baked. The plot is convoluted, to be kind, and a mess, to be frank. With the excuse of The Grace of Kings being "epic", Mr. Liu introduces a series of characters only to find a fate for them off-screen or kill them off in the next couple of chapters. There is no regard for the politics or fine details of administering a) a rebellion; b) a kingdom: c) anything at all, which is fine, I guess, but becomes quite ridiculous by the eleventh time someone unprepared has assumed the control of a province and is doing just fine at managing it. Until the halfway mark it's impossible to predict what's going to happen next – which is also fine, I guess – not because of any genius on Mr. Liu's part, but because the plot is just a bunch of strings all jumbled up together. After that it all becomes very predictable and the pacing is a hot mess, everything moving by super quickly as you watch in desperation – and it was about at that point that I stopped reading.

I also have a very specific bone to pick: why are characters moving from one part of the world to another in literal seconds? They do have flying airships but it's established you need a large crew and that they're only for military use. The lack of any thought to the movement of characters through the space is just an indication of how little care was put into the building of this world.

It's hard to explain just how terrible I found The Grace of Kings, and just how confused I am by everyone's high opinions of this book. I think the best way to put it into words is that it feels like I'm reading a rough – and let's say extra rough, for good measure – draft of what will one day become a great book, if it gets a good editor to take a look at it. The thought of continuing this series – or this book, I did DNF it – fills me with absolute dread. Suffice it to say, I won't be picking up the next book.

Unless someone offers me a thousand dollars. Then I'll reconsider. But I'll bargain, first.

#the dandellion dynasty #the grace of kings #sff books #fantasy books #book review #book reviews #book recommendations #epic fantasy #ken liu #steampunk books #Books books books #bad books

1 note · View note

lilareviewsbooks · 11 months

Note

Have you read Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott?

I haven't, yet, but I just read the synopsis and this sounds amazing?? A secretly gay princess trying to survive in a sci-fi world full of court intrigue?? Sign me the fuck up!! I'm adding it to the TBR rn, thank you so much for the rec!

#fantasy books #scifibooks #book recommendations #unconquerable sun #sff books #queer books

0 notes

lilareviewsbooks · 11 months

Text

May Reading Wrap Up :)

Okay, listen… It's my first month of summer vacation and I have absolutely nothing to do, so don't judge me here, but this month I read 13 books. I know, I know… I promise I've been exercising and getting out and stuff, it just happened. Having a lot of free time means a lot of reading time for me, especially since I discovered the power of audiobooks. So let's take a look at what I read and what I thought of each book!

The Shadow of Kiyoshi, by F.C. Yee

4 stars

341 pages

Contains: sapphic girlies; elemental magic (duh!!) and a sympathetic bad guy :(

I read this so early in the month, and when I was still at college, packing, so it feels like ages ago. I mostly listened to The Shadow of Kiyoshi, and, like I've mentioned before on here, listening to fiction has been a challenge. I'm not very used to it, yet, and I need to continue to acclimate to it. This book was the unfortunate victim of my poor ears – I work with audio, what am I talking about – and understanding what was going on was difficult for me. But I benefited from this being the second book in the Kiyoshi Novels series, which are companion novels to the show Avatar: The Last Airbender – and if you haven't watched that, and you're a fantasy fan, do so right now.

This one is complicated to talk about because of its relationship to the ATLA canon. However, I can say that the characters are incredibly compelling, just like they were in the first book of the series. The main romantic relationship, between Rangi and Avatar Kiyoshi, just draws you in, and their dynamic is the best! I loved it especially when Mr. Yee pulls some humor out of it.

In general, I think this lives up to the series, and does it justice. It keeps the good humor and nature of the show, without losing its attention to darker themes. Here, I think it was best represented by our "bad guy" (and I can't tell you who they are!), who I felt so much sympathy for, and who had a complicated relationship with our lead.

Highly recommend this series, especially for fans of ATLA – though I'm pretty sure you could theoretically read this without watching the show!

The Dawn of Yangchen, by F.C. Yee

4 stars

336 pages

Contains: politics (but softcore, esp. if you're a fan of those cerebral thriller types of books); a mc plagued by her past lives; romantic tension

I also listened to this, but on the plane home lmao I'm terrified of planes, so I wasn't paying that much attention as I was trying not to throw up every time it wiggled a little bit! But I enjoyed The Dawn of Yangchen. It was a calming read lmao

This one is surprisingly political, which I wasn't expecting. This is also a part of the ATLA universe, and is following a different Avatar from Kiyoshi, and it's the first in a series. So, I was expecting this one to be more or less the same as The Rise of Kiyoshi and its successor.

But I was surprised. Mr. Yee really focuses, here, on the politics of some specific towns, previously unknown in this universe, at least to my knowledge, which was such an interesting expansion. It also went into some other Avatars' lives, Yangchen's previous lives. That was super cool for me to read, because I'm literally so into ATLA, you guys have no idea.

I saw some GoodReads reviews complain that this feels more like an introduction to a bigger plot than anything else, but I honestly didn't feel like that. I think it was a pretty satisfactory story, even though the resolution didn't hit as strong for me. But I agree that it sets up the second book quite pointedly. It only made me more excited to read this next one, though! Can't wait for Mr. Yee to put it out into the world!

Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse

454 pages

3 stars

Contains: sea-related magic; a chosen one, but he's the villain? Or is he? What's going on?; discussions of religion

I've been waiting to pick up Black Sun for ages! This is the first book in the Between Earth and Sky series, which currently has two books released. We follow Serapio, a blinded devotee of an ancient crow god, who is trying to get to the holy city of Tova in time for the winter solstice – but why? On the ship carrying him is Xiala, a Teek with water magic who is curious about her mysterious passenger. In Tova itself, Naranpa serves as the Sun Priestess, a piece in the complex political-religious chess of the city.

Unfortunately, Black Sun didn't do everything I wanted it to do for me. The characters lacked something, and I wasn't drawn to them as I thought they were missing a layer of realism. I found their actions – and, consequently, the plot – very predictable. The romance, in particular, suffered from this, as I thought it wasn't well-developed and I had a tough time rooting for the will-they-won't-they to actually happen.

But the world-building blew me away! This is inspired by Pre-Invasion American cultures, and the real historical details blend seamlessly with the magic, creating a world that feels alive. The city of Tova itself is made up of multiple centers on mountains that can only be reached by bridges that travers the chasm between them. That is such a cool idea, and reminds me of the ancient cultures in my neighboring Andes! I've always wondered what it would be like to live so, so high up.

Black Sun also has one of the most fantastic first chapters I've read in fantasy. It drew me in immediately. I highly recommend just reading it by itself, even if you don't feel like reading the whole book. What a stunning beginning! The ending is also a banger – it just lost me in the middle.

I don't know yet if I'll continue with this series, but we'll see, come next month!

Into The Riverlands, by Nghi Vo

100 pages

5 stars

Contains: a non-binary cleric; a talking bird; an old woman who bosses everyone around

For this one, I wrote a standalone review! Suffice it to say, as with any of the books in this series by Ms. Vo, I loved it! The Singing Hills Cycle follows cleric Chih as they travel around their China-inspired kingdom, recording its history and stories with the help of their talking bird, who has an eidetic memory, Almost Brilliant.

The audiobook for this one is 2 hours long and it felt like watching a movie. Honestly, I'm so happy I've turned to audiobooks more, this month. This one in particular filled me with such joy – it's so nice to see a story come to life, like that, especially when it's an installment in a series all about the power of stories themselves!

I highly, highly recommend this series! Check out my short SFF books list if you'd like more info on it, or the standalone review I mentioned previously!

The Traitor Baru Cormorant & The Monster Baru Cormorant, by Seth Dickinson

399 and 464 pages

Both 5 stars

Contains: crazy gay people; politics like you wouldn't believe; lyrical writing

And now, for the most defining books of my month, I give you, The Masquerade Series, by Mr. Dickinson, starting with The Traitor Baru Cormorant and moving on to The Monster Baru Cormorant. At the time of writing, I'm currently reading the third and last book in the series, The Tyrant Baru Cormorant, at least until Mr. Dickinson graces us with the next installment.

This series follows – you guessed it – Baru Cormorant, a young girl from the island nation of Taranoke, who watches her country be colonized by the hugely powerful Masquerade Empire. After one of her fathers is killed for being queer, Baru decides to join a Masquerade school and destroy the Empire from the inside out. Soon, she is being sent to unruleable Aurdwynn, where she is to be the Imperial Accountant. And things get very, very complicated from there.

The Masquerade is not the easiest series to consume. Between the political intrigue, the complexities and interests of each character and the purple prose, it can sometimes be hard to follow. But, oh my God, if it isn't worth it! The pay-off is unbelievable, especially in the first book. I predicted what was going to happen, because it was well set-up, but it didn't matter – it crushed me into a million pieces anyway.

This is absolutely perfect for fans of The Locked Tomb and The Texicalaan Series. It's gay, it's confusing and it's political as fuck, diving deep into themes of colonization and empire. And it starts getting pretty crazy after the second book! I highly, highly recommend!

The Tea Master And The Detective, by Aliette de Bodard

93 pages

4 stars

Contains: a Sherlock Holmes retelling; sentient spaceships; tea!

Another one I listened to! This was actually my first Aliette de Bodard that I didn't DNF, which is quite a feat for someone who's into SFF novellas, as Ms. Bodard has quite a few under her belt. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this! The Tea Master and The Detective is part of the Universe of Xuya, a collection of works that imagines a future of sentient spaceships ("mindships") and a timeline in which Asia became dominant. The result is a brilliant silkpunk future full of interesting tidbits to unpack!

Here, we take a look at an investigation, as we follow consulting detective Long Chau on a case. She soon recruits the mindship The Shadow's Child into her world, and their story goes from there. It's a charming story, with interesting characters and solid dialogue. Not to mention, of course, the main event: the worldbuilding, which sucks you in and leaves you wanting more!

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, by Aliette de Bodard

164 pages

4 stars

Contains: family drama; court intrigue; complicated mother-daughter relationships

So, naturally, I went after more in the Universe of Xuya, and ended up reading The Citadel of Weeping Pearls. This one revolves around the mysterious – let's say it together – Citadel of Weeping Pearls, a habitat of multiple ships founded in rebellion by a rogue princess, but that vanished, thirty years ago, with all on board. This novella follows several people who are connected to the Citadel in various ways as their lives collide on the search for it.

I actually liked this one better than I did The Tea Master and the Detective. The characters are very compelling, as this focuses very much on the relationships between these people, especially their connections to this rebellious princess. The premise is awesome, as well, and it reaches a satisfying conclusion by the end, which is impressive for a novella, I think. So many of them end up half-baked. I highly recommend this one, and the audiobook is quite nice, as it has different narrators for each POV!

The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw

106 pages

5 stars

Contains: vibes. Just the creepiest vibes.; science-horror? Body-horror?; a mermaid!!

This is another novella! I've written about it before, in my gay mermaids post, but it doesn't hurt to reinforce my points.

I don't even know how to explain this one – it has a plot, and it's great, but the important part of this novella is definitely its pure, creepy-as-fuck vibes. It’s a twist on The Little Mermaid that follows a siren and a plague doctor, the only survivors of a destroyed kingdom, as they go on the run, and the creepy things they find along the way.

The prose, here, is very much purple, but, honestly, it creates this incredible atmosphere that draws you in and does not let you go. I was originally going to only read a couple of pages to see what this was about, but I was absolutely blown away by The Salt Grows Heavy and couldn't put it down! If you're a fan of vibes-only books (such as Erin Morgestein's Starless Sea and The Night Circus), this is definitely for you!

Clementine, by Tillie Walden

259 pages

3 stars

Contains: an apocalyptic setting; disability rep!!; a real nice Amish guy with a horse

My next read was Clementine, Volume 1 by Tillie Walden, a graphic-novelist whom I adore! You probably know her from her (rightfully so) popular book On A Sunbeam. This one takes place in the world of The Walking Dead (but I read it very well without knowing anything about this universe), and follows young Clementine and the people she meets on the road.

Ms. Walden manages to build very nice characters here. They're all very compelling and I appreciated spending time with them. But their arcs and the plot itself felt rushed. I feel like the graphic novel could've used a couple more pages to really flesh those things out. In direct contrast, I thought the world building was well-done and Ms. Walden managed to communicate a lot about this universe in just a couple of panels. In conclusion, this isn't the best Tillie Walden – that would be The End of Summer – but I'd recommend it, especially if you're needing some post-apocalyptic flavor in your life after finishing The Last of Us.

Senlin Ascends, by Josiah Bancroft

3 stars

448 pages

Contains: a shy nerd; a tower full of crazy things; steampunk! Let’s go steampunk!

I feel like I've talked everyone's ear off about this one – I was too disappointed not to. Senlin Ascends follows the introverted Thomas Senlin as he takes his new wife Marya to see the Tower of Babel, a big-ass tower that he considers to be humanity's big feat. Not long after arriving though, Thomas and Marya lose each other in the crowd, and the book follows Thomas' attempts to reunite himself with her.

What disappointed me very much about this was the decisions Mr. Bancroft made on the subject of the romance – Marya was Thomas' student when she was a child, and their first kiss and beginning of their "courtship" took place when Thomas dropped her off at college. I thought that was wildly unnecessary and inappropriate, and wrote about it (at length) here.

Apart from that, Senlin Ascends is a fun read, with memorable, quirky characters and interesting world building. But it's hard to ignore a romance like that, especially considering that it's what the entire story hinges on.

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, by Amanda Montell

309 pages

5 stars

And, for the first time in ages, I read something not-SFF! That's right – I listened to this non-fiction read on the bus and at home while I made origami (I'm obsessed with making origami) and ended up finishing it quite fast! Here, Ms. Montell explores different facets of human life that can be "cultish", with a particular focus on language.

I thought this read was super interesting, especially because I love learning about languages! The section on glossolalia (speaking in tongues, more popularly) was particularly interesting! I did find it a bit repetitive at its points, sometimes, and I wish it could have trusted the reader to remember the main argument, instead of reiterating it.

The Mimicking of Known Successes, by Malka Older

169 pages

5 stars

Contains: a second-chance sapphic romance; a mystery; humans living on Jupiter

Another sci-fi mystery, but this one was a bit cozier – and a new release, it just came out in March! I had a lot of fun with The Mimicking of Known Successes. It follows Pleiti, a scholar at Valdegeld University, and Mossa, her detective ex-girlfriend who needs help with a case she's on. Pleiti and Mossa are sucked into this mystery and work together to solve it, but this story's main take-away definitely relates to the relationship between the two, as it begins to evolve during their time together.

I listened to the audiobook for this and had such a delightful time. The language is very vivid and definitely brings the environment to life, which only made it cozier, for me. It can be quite funny at times, and I found myself laughing aloud to the quips. I also very much enjoyed the main relationship. It definitely reminded me of my days in the trenches in the BBC Sherlock fandom, as the characters have a similar dynamic, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for fans of the show. The mystery itself wasn't a stunner or my main focus at all, but it surprised me in the end, when it ended up leading to some pretty cool reflections about humanity's relationship to Earth.

That's all I read in the month of May! I'm excited for next month and also to keep posting on here whenever inspiration strikes and I have something to recommend :) Please don't hesistate to drop me an ask if you'd like a recommendation, in case you've noticed our tastes align!

8 notes · View notes