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megsbookishtwins's reviews
1183 reviews
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
disclaimer : I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
content warnings: violence, horror, body horror, gore, rape, sexual assault, racism, queerphobia
rep: vietnamese non binary m/c, lesbian side character & LI, queer side characters
I so wanted to love They Bloom at Night & while I enjoyed the novel at times, I was also just so bored at times too - which I was shocked at bc it's such a short novel. They Bloom at Night follows Nhung in a louisiana town after a hurricane has devastated the area & a red algae bloom has caused mutated wildlife. It has a good blend of sci - fi/post apocalyptic horror & also a haunting supernatural element. It talks about class , racism, intergenerational trauma, climate change , discovery of one's gender & queerness , Asian American experience - but all in all - it's really a coming of age novel, which may be why I struggled to get into it bc I've aged out of that now (this isn't the novels fault). Even tho this didn't hit the spot for me, if you're wanting a YA ocean horror with sci fi & supernatural elements, then I do recommend you have a nosy at this one.
content warnings: violence, horror, body horror, gore, rape, sexual assault, racism, queerphobia
rep: vietnamese non binary m/c, lesbian side character & LI, queer side characters
I so wanted to love They Bloom at Night & while I enjoyed the novel at times, I was also just so bored at times too - which I was shocked at bc it's such a short novel. They Bloom at Night follows Nhung in a louisiana town after a hurricane has devastated the area & a red algae bloom has caused mutated wildlife. It has a good blend of sci - fi/post apocalyptic horror & also a haunting supernatural element. It talks about class , racism, intergenerational trauma, climate change , discovery of one's gender & queerness , Asian American experience - but all in all - it's really a coming of age novel, which may be why I struggled to get into it bc I've aged out of that now (this isn't the novels fault). Even tho this didn't hit the spot for me, if you're wanting a YA ocean horror with sci fi & supernatural elements, then I do recommend you have a nosy at this one.
The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i feel sick
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
challenging
dark
- 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
2.0
content warnings: violence, gore, misogyny, rape, sexual assault, suicidal ideation, murder
I will happily hold up my hands to say I've never read Macbeth, from what I've gathered, from my own research & from others reviews, ava reids re-imagining of the story is quite jarring. Where Lady macbeth lacks agency - with this, I do agree. I am not fond of novels that center the whole narrative around misogyny & while I understand ava reids artistic choice in this regard, I was not a fan. While throught the novel, she does regain her own agency, it was a little too late.
Ava reid is a fantastic writer & I loved her novel a study in drowning . Lady Macbeth is an atmospheric novel - witchy & gothic & it was my favourite aspect of the novel- re-imagining Lady macbeth as a witch was a good choice, but unfortunately the rest of the novel fell short for me.
Also, the anti Scottish sentiment was strong in this one, I even felt quite offended on my own scot grandma's behalf, damn.
I will happily hold up my hands to say I've never read Macbeth, from what I've gathered, from my own research & from others reviews, ava reids re-imagining of the story is quite jarring. Where Lady macbeth lacks agency - with this, I do agree. I am not fond of novels that center the whole narrative around misogyny & while I understand ava reids artistic choice in this regard, I was not a fan. While throught the novel, she does regain her own agency, it was a little too late.
Ava reid is a fantastic writer & I loved her novel a study in drowning . Lady Macbeth is an atmospheric novel - witchy & gothic & it was my favourite aspect of the novel- re-imagining Lady macbeth as a witch was a good choice, but unfortunately the rest of the novel fell short for me.
Also, the anti Scottish sentiment was strong in this one, I even felt quite offended on my own scot grandma's behalf, damn.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love complex heroes & villains. I love discussions of magic & power & corruption. Heir follows 3 main characters - Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha & each story is delicately interwoven together. I always find novels with a divine being & religious fanaticism really interesting & when done well it can put a good fantasy novel in the realm of a great fantasy novel in my eyes. The characters had the complexity & development I yearn for in a good fantasy novel - the romance was great - not quite as slow burn as I like but I enjoyed its intensity. Heir is a perfect example of a magic system done well. The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars from me & this is a just a personal gripe is that this was marketed as being able to be read as a standalone, HOWEVER, I do highly recommend reading her previous series beforehand because there were times where I could feel that someone & something & some event or place was significant but I just didn't know why - again, that's a personal issue & my own fault for not having read her previous series.
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
content warnings: blood, illness, violence, gore, body horror, mutilations, murder, misogyny
rep: sapphic characters & sapphic relationship
The Invocations:had a really promising start - atmospheric & magic & a touch of dark academia. On a whole, this book is just so me - full of misandry! honestly, vibes. I loved all three of our girls too - jude, our lesbian menace who would do anything to cure herself of her botched tethering to a demon, zara, our intellectual nerd who is desperate to raise her sister from the dead to say sorry, and emer, our sapphic witch and cursewriter with a demon companion. All three end up working together to stop a witch hunter. The novel is about the inherent misogyny of men. Men who have everything - power & status and yet still want more. I absolutely adored the magic system - the invocations, soul magic, and blood magic. I think there were just times that it lost me a little, it wasn't always consistent pacing and also I think the gore and body horror was sometimes just a little overdone and a little gratuitous at times. But otherwise, a pretty solid witch novel.
rep: sapphic characters & sapphic relationship
The Invocations:had a really promising start - atmospheric & magic & a touch of dark academia. On a whole, this book is just so me - full of misandry! honestly, vibes. I loved all three of our girls too - jude, our lesbian menace who would do anything to cure herself of her botched tethering to a demon, zara, our intellectual nerd who is desperate to raise her sister from the dead to say sorry, and emer, our sapphic witch and cursewriter with a demon companion. All three end up working together to stop a witch hunter. The novel is about the inherent misogyny of men. Men who have everything - power & status and yet still want more. I absolutely adored the magic system - the invocations, soul magic, and blood magic. I think there were just times that it lost me a little, it wasn't always consistent pacing and also I think the gore and body horror was sometimes just a little overdone and a little gratuitous at times. But otherwise, a pretty solid witch novel.
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
content warnings: sexual assault, rape, abuse, domestic abuse, violence, blood, gore, murder, attempted murder, suicide mentions, poisoning, manipulation
rep: sapphic characters
Hungerstone draws inspiration from the well known story of Carmilla. It is a violent, sensual, intense & intoxicating novel about women's fear, anger, desire & freedom. It takes place in sheffield and the peak district during the industrial revolution. The atmosphere is really well done too - very haunting, especially against the victorian backdrop. The plot moves forward incredibly fast, amping up & up for a very cathartic ending. I loved Lenore as a character - a wild and untamed woman being forced into a demure & quiet wife and I loved seeing her fighting her way free from that. Highly recommend - especially if you're a fan of gothic sapphic novels.
content warnings: sexual assault, rape, abuse, domestic abuse, violence, blood, gore, murder, attempted murder, suicide mentions, poisoning, manipulation
rep: sapphic characters
Hungerstone draws inspiration from the well known story of Carmilla. It is a violent, sensual, intense & intoxicating novel about women's fear, anger, desire & freedom. It takes place in sheffield and the peak district during the industrial revolution. The atmosphere is really well done too - very haunting, especially against the victorian backdrop. The plot moves forward incredibly fast, amping up & up for a very cathartic ending. I loved Lenore as a character - a wild and untamed woman being forced into a demure & quiet wife and I loved seeing her fighting her way free from that. Highly recommend - especially if you're a fan of gothic sapphic novels.
On Vicious Worlds by Bethany Jacobs
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
disclaimer: I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
rep: non binary character, poc characters, sapphic characters & sapphic romance, polyam replationship, queer characters & queer romance
content: genocide, blood, gore, violence, threat of sexual violence, child abuse, abuse, death, colonisation, oppression
actual rating:4.5 stars
Personally, I think On Vicious Worlds did suffer from second-book syndrome & YET it is still an absolutely mind-blowing novel. It didn't quite hit the highs that These Burning Stars hit - which came as no surprise in all honesty, can you really top that masterpiece? The Kingdom Trilogy is a complex space opera with a lot of machination and politics and I feel like it has you pulled in a million different directions, never letting you feel quite safe. I did call the plot twist that was revealed in the very last page, but it was a fun ride to get there nevertheless. Like the first novel, it tackles important topics such as colonisation, imperialism, theft of resources, and genocide. And again, like the first novel, it features some amazing morally ambigious characters (my fav) and some great relationships - toxic, complicated, full of love and anger, it's just *mwah*. If you want to sit down with a superb science fiction series, then this is the one.
rep: non binary character, poc characters, sapphic characters & sapphic romance, polyam replationship, queer characters & queer romance
content: genocide, blood, gore, violence, threat of sexual violence, child abuse, abuse, death, colonisation, oppression
actual rating:4.5 stars
Personally, I think On Vicious Worlds did suffer from second-book syndrome & YET it is still an absolutely mind-blowing novel. It didn't quite hit the highs that These Burning Stars hit - which came as no surprise in all honesty, can you really top that masterpiece? The Kingdom Trilogy is a complex space opera with a lot of machination and politics and I feel like it has you pulled in a million different directions, never letting you feel quite safe. I did call the plot twist that was revealed in the very last page, but it was a fun ride to get there nevertheless. Like the first novel, it tackles important topics such as colonisation, imperialism, theft of resources, and genocide. And again, like the first novel, it features some amazing morally ambigious characters (my fav) and some great relationships - toxic, complicated, full of love and anger, it's just *mwah*. If you want to sit down with a superb science fiction series, then this is the one.
Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Abhorsen is a solid YA fantasy series. Higher stakes, great magic system! Highly recommend.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Perfect read for the spooky season. The narrative and plot are strong & captivating. It is a novel about consumption, loyalty, desire & obsession
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Slavery, Blood, and Sexual harassment