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mahtzahgay's reviews
124 reviews
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Much to think about.............................. Also that final line is crazy work.
The Devourers by Indra Das
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Genuinely one of the most interesting interpretations of werewolves/shape-shifters I've ever read. Das manages to imbue a true sense of inhumanism into his narrative – the way the shifters are portrayed, and how they view the world and themselves, is so completely distanced from anything familiarly human.
The gore, too, is strangely abstract; this is not a negative. Das' use of dreamscape horror is effective in both enrapturing you within these blood-stained scenes while not not scaring away potential readers who are squirmish. His horror is surreal and lyrical.
The juxtaposition between the human element of queerness and its inhuman counterpart was interesting to see play out. I don't really have anything else to add without giving major spoilers, but I really enjoyed how these themes were handled and interwoven with one another.
The gore, too, is strangely abstract; this is not a negative. Das' use of dreamscape horror is effective in both enrapturing you within these blood-stained scenes while not not scaring away potential readers who are squirmish. His horror is surreal and lyrical.
The juxtaposition between the human element of queerness and its inhuman counterpart was interesting to see play out. I don't really have anything else to add without giving major spoilers, but I really enjoyed how these themes were handled and interwoven with one another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, and Death of parent
A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Nicely fucked up little relationship paired with a pretty good horror mystery. I'm always a sucker for any sort of maritime/naval themed horror, and A Bone in His Teeth definitely scratched that itch.
I ticked "it's complicated" for the diverse cast only because while there are obviously plenty of queer characters present within the book, none of the characters are explicitly coded or written as not white.
While there are sex scenes in the book, the overall plot and relationship between Alba and Eridanys is still the main focus, and I wouldn't consider the amount of sex scenes excessive. The sex scenes were written pretty well, and I did enjoy that consensual rough sex was depicted – I find that when sex is explicitly detailed in a book, it tends to lean on the more vanilla side. It was a nice change of pace.
I ticked "it's complicated" for the diverse cast only because while there are obviously plenty of queer characters present within the book, none of the characters are explicitly coded or written as not white.
While there are sex scenes in the book, the overall plot and relationship between Alba and Eridanys is still the main focus, and I wouldn't consider the amount of sex scenes excessive. The sex scenes were written pretty well, and I did enjoy that consensual rough sex was depicted – I find that when sex is explicitly detailed in a book, it tends to lean on the more vanilla side. It was a nice change of pace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Transphobia
Chronicles of a Village by Nguyen Thanh Hien
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Gorgeously lyrical prose. The weight of the unnamed narrator's love for his village is felt within every sentence, between each space of every word. Each fragment of memory is interwoven with one another like a stream of consciousness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: War
To Wield The Darkest Night by Beau Van Dalen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
I really, really tried. I did.
I thought perhaps Van Dalen's poor writing in his Prince's Loving Guards series was simply because they were plotless, airheaded erotica. Unfortunately – for me, more specifically – Van Dalen's writing is of Wattpad quality regardless of publishing length.
Usually I try and finish books I dislike so I can accurately & cohesively critique why I didn't like them; I think it's imperative to giving negative critique & necessary to properly deconstruct why a media does or doesn't work. However, I got to the 160-page mark, suffering the entire time, and asked myself, "does a poorly-written smut book really deserve this much effort to critique it?"
The answer is no. It doesn't.
Again, as I said for my review of Van Dalen's previous novellas: if you're looking for well-written erotica, go to AO3 instead. I am being 100% serious when I say there's far better written and significantly more interesting erotica on there than in these books.
I thought perhaps Van Dalen's poor writing in his Prince's Loving Guards series was simply because they were plotless, airheaded erotica. Unfortunately – for me, more specifically – Van Dalen's writing is of Wattpad quality regardless of publishing length.
Usually I try and finish books I dislike so I can accurately & cohesively critique why I didn't like them; I think it's imperative to giving negative critique & necessary to properly deconstruct why a media does or doesn't work. However, I got to the 160-page mark, suffering the entire time, and asked myself, "does a poorly-written smut book really deserve this much effort to critique it?"
The answer is no. It doesn't.
Again, as I said for my review of Van Dalen's previous novellas: if you're looking for well-written erotica, go to AO3 instead. I am being 100% serious when I say there's far better written and significantly more interesting erotica on there than in these books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dysphoria
Moderate: Death and Violence
The Prince's Loving Guards by Beau Van Dalen
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I was SOOOO bored. The sex is so dull and uninteresting, which is worrying considering this entire series is meant to be a mindless, plotless erotica series.
The characters are still so boring, too. Kaiser was given slightly more attention and interest in this one, but Hal, Elwood, and Kaiser are all still such wooden and boring people to read and listen to. Also, I'm sorry, but for a series that was marketed as a poly romance, there is very little polyamory happening – while a triad isn't necessarily an endgame goal for all poly relationships, I was still expecting some sort of amicable and developed relationship between Elwood and Kaiser, but the two seem as distant as ever.
Again, if you're looking for erotica, go read some AO3 fanfiction. I can promise you that it'll likely be both better written and far more developed than this series.
The characters are still so boring, too. Kaiser was given slightly more attention and interest in this one, but Hal, Elwood, and Kaiser are all still such wooden and boring people to read and listen to. Also, I'm sorry, but for a series that was marketed as a poly romance, there is very little polyamory happening – while a triad isn't necessarily an endgame goal for all poly relationships, I was still expecting some sort of amicable and developed relationship between Elwood and Kaiser, but the two seem as distant as ever.
Again, if you're looking for erotica, go read some AO3 fanfiction. I can promise you that it'll likely be both better written and far more developed than this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dysphoria
Minor: Violence and War
The Prince's Dearest Guards by Beau Van Dalen
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
It's plotless porn. It's fine. I found the characters both one-dimentional and boring (and also ZERO personality tbh), and the sex was pretty dull.
Honestly if you want a trans romantasy, so read Reclaimed by Seth Haddon instead, where the writing quality is far better AND you get a much more interesting fantasy world that stands on it's own regardless of the slow-burn romance. And if you just want erotica? Go find some AO3 fanfiction. Seriously.
Honestly if you want a trans romantasy, so read Reclaimed by Seth Haddon instead, where the writing quality is far better AND you get a much more interesting fantasy world that stands on it's own regardless of the slow-burn romance. And if you just want erotica? Go find some AO3 fanfiction. Seriously.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dysphoria
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Medical content and Pregnancy
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Both harrowing and tender. One of the best works of climate dystopia fiction I've read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence
Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Messiest collection of bisexuals I've ever seen. 10/10.
On a serious note, Monstrilio was a wonder to read. I'm glad I took my time with it. I was swept up in the relationship with Monstrilio each of his family members had; their unconditional and desperate love, and how failed him anyway. Joseph and Mago's intense grief for their son permeates each page – watching them scrabble to protect Monstrilio while simultaneously be unable to understand him was heartwrenching, and yet, so very, very human.
There's a lot more I could say about Monstrilio specifically, but this is ultimately a review & not an essay, so I'll leave it at this: Monstrilio's true nature being denied, or ignored, or misunderstood seemed so allegorically queer that it outshone the explicit queerness performanced by him and his family.
Occasionally I've read a book that instinctually I want to give it 5-stars, before pausing and wondering if handing out a 5-star rating cheapens it. This is not one of those books.
On a serious note, Monstrilio was a wonder to read. I'm glad I took my time with it. I was swept up in the relationship with Monstrilio each of his family members had; their unconditional and desperate love, and how failed him anyway. Joseph and Mago's intense grief for their son permeates each page – watching them scrabble to protect Monstrilio while simultaneously be unable to understand him was heartwrenching, and yet, so very, very human.
There's a lot more I could say about Monstrilio specifically, but this is ultimately a review & not an essay, so I'll leave it at this: Monstrilio's true nature being denied, or ignored, or misunderstood seemed so allegorically queer that it outshone the explicit queerness performanced by him and his family.
Occasionally I've read a book that instinctually I want to give it 5-stars, before pausing and wondering if handing out a 5-star rating cheapens it. This is not one of those books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, and Cannibalism
Reclaimed by Seth Haddon
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I am going to YELL and CRY and EAT MY OWN HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Mr Haddon for making a good, dense romantasy book that a) didn't make me gag the entire time reading and b) gave me the fantasy transfag romance I have always wished for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Deadnaming and Death of parent