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ravensandpages's reviews
585 reviews
Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances by Aliette de Bodard
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ARC received in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan!
Alright, I've got quite a bit to say about this one, so buckle up and settle in. This novella is the second in a series of married disaster detectives set in Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen universe, which I have not read but will probably get around to after reading these. Asmodeus is the goddamn worst and I love him so, so much. This second mystery interrupts an otherwise pleasant day of Thuan and Asmodeus babysitting his cousin's children when they stumble upon a gruesome scene: the ghost of a starved child inside a desecrated shrine who happens to be the only witness to an official's murder. The culprit will stop at nothing to silence her, and Thuan is forced to navigate solving the crime alongside a very, very long argument with his husband after he takes on feeding the ghost with his life force without consulting Thuan.
The second book improved on some things that I thought detracted from the first; it did a better job of introducing characters and concepts that might have been unfamiliar, but I'd hesitate to say it stands on its own even inside its own series. As much as I adored them, I was very confused on who Ai Nhi and Camille were to Thuan and Asmodeus, as I thought they were part of Thuan's cousin's children until I saw them referred to as their parental figures. I don't remember them being mentioned in the first book at all, but perhaps they're in the original series and I'm just not aware, so feel free to ignore me if you're a Dominion of the Fallen veteran and know what's going on. I also read the finished copy in order to evade some of the typos and errors in the ARC, but still saw some things like phrases being repeated very close together that took me out of the story. In some ways, it felt like the writing process itself had been rushed, and at times I felt the prose lost Thuan's voice.
All that aside, however, I did enjoy the mystery and I greatly enjoy Thuan and Asmodeus as characters. I also adored the introduction of Diem Chau and her ganging up on Thuan with Asmodeus... true queer culture right there. I also ate up every crumb of Thuan and Asmodeus fighting. If you love mess, look no further. I also enjoyed the themes surrounding the actual murder and [redacted culprit] getting what [redacted pronoun] deserved. I don't think I can give this higher than a 3.5, but I would still recommend if you're a fan of gays, ghosts, or fantasy. I think as long as you're willing to put some unaddressed aspects of the worldbuilding aside, this series can absolutely be read and enjoyed without reading the original trilogy. I know I did, and I'd love to see more of them.
Alright, I've got quite a bit to say about this one, so buckle up and settle in. This novella is the second in a series of married disaster detectives set in Aliette de Bodard's Dominion of the Fallen universe, which I have not read but will probably get around to after reading these. Asmodeus is the goddamn worst and I love him so, so much. This second mystery interrupts an otherwise pleasant day of Thuan and Asmodeus babysitting his cousin's children when they stumble upon a gruesome scene: the ghost of a starved child inside a desecrated shrine who happens to be the only witness to an official's murder. The culprit will stop at nothing to silence her, and Thuan is forced to navigate solving the crime alongside a very, very long argument with his husband after he takes on feeding the ghost with his life force without consulting Thuan.
The second book improved on some things that I thought detracted from the first; it did a better job of introducing characters and concepts that might have been unfamiliar, but I'd hesitate to say it stands on its own even inside its own series. As much as I adored them, I was very confused on who Ai Nhi and Camille were to Thuan and Asmodeus, as I thought they were part of Thuan's cousin's children until I saw them referred to as their parental figures. I don't remember them being mentioned in the first book at all, but perhaps they're in the original series and I'm just not aware, so feel free to ignore me if you're a Dominion of the Fallen veteran and know what's going on. I also read the finished copy in order to evade some of the typos and errors in the ARC, but still saw some things like phrases being repeated very close together that took me out of the story. In some ways, it felt like the writing process itself had been rushed, and at times I felt the prose lost Thuan's voice.
All that aside, however, I did enjoy the mystery and I greatly enjoy Thuan and Asmodeus as characters. I also adored the introduction of Diem Chau and her ganging up on Thuan with Asmodeus... true queer culture right there. I also ate up every crumb of Thuan and Asmodeus fighting. If you love mess, look no further. I also enjoyed the themes surrounding the actual murder and [redacted culprit] getting what [redacted pronoun] deserved. I don't think I can give this higher than a 3.5, but I would still recommend if you're a fan of gays, ghosts, or fantasy. I think as long as you're willing to put some unaddressed aspects of the worldbuilding aside, this series can absolutely be read and enjoyed without reading the original trilogy. I know I did, and I'd love to see more of them.
❧ 3.5 ★
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ARC received in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan!
First of all, I am overjoyed to announce that I am starting 2024 as a healed man. I read 91% of this book in one day/sitting, and I have never felt better or more fulfilled. If I reset my reading challenge to 300, look away.
Second of all, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce MOST ARDENTLY to you, the ninth installment in Feiwel & Friends' young adult remixed classics series. I've been watching this project attentively but hadn't been brave enough to dip my toes into trying them until MOST ARDENTLY, a reimaging of Pride & Prejudice with a trans Bennett boy falling in love with a gay Darcy. I blacked out and when I opened my eyes, the ARC had been requested and was open on my Kindle. I cannot thank past me enough.
Those like me who already love Pride & Prejudice will recognize the bones of the story: an overbearing mother of five pushes her oldest to catch the eye of a new neighbor, his friend is prideful and arrogant and enters into a push-and-pull relationship with the second oldest Bennett, and said Bennett suffers a series of awful proposals. It keeps many of the core story beats of the source and many of my favorite scenes, but also carves out its own original space inside the world of Pride & Prejudice in a lighthearted and engaging way.
Die-hard Austen fans who are expecting a 1:1 remix are not going to find that here, and of course they won't. MOST ARDENTLY is not intended to be, and it's honestly exactly what I was hoping for. The writing and dialogue preserve the Regency era feel, but the story has been expertly condensed to a YA pace and . I simply couldn't put it down once I truly got into the groove, and it was all I was thinking about every time I had to pause for even a moment.
If you're a fan of Pride & Prejudice, of trans boys finding love and happiness, historical romances, and happy endings, I cannot recommend this one enough, but do be sure to read the author's note at the beginning for content warnings. Please preorder and support this wonderful series!
❧ 4.5 ★
First of all, I am overjoyed to announce that I am starting 2024 as a healed man. I read 91% of this book in one day/sitting, and I have never felt better or more fulfilled. If I reset my reading challenge to 300, look away.
Second of all, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce MOST ARDENTLY to you, the ninth installment in Feiwel & Friends' young adult remixed classics series. I've been watching this project attentively but hadn't been brave enough to dip my toes into trying them until MOST ARDENTLY, a reimaging of Pride & Prejudice with a trans Bennett boy falling in love with a gay Darcy. I blacked out and when I opened my eyes, the ARC had been requested and was open on my Kindle. I cannot thank past me enough.
Those like me who already love Pride & Prejudice will recognize the bones of the story: an overbearing mother of five pushes her oldest to catch the eye of a new neighbor, his friend is prideful and arrogant and enters into a push-and-pull relationship with the second oldest Bennett, and said Bennett suffers a series of awful proposals. It keeps many of the core story beats of the source and many of my favorite scenes, but also carves out its own original space inside the world of Pride & Prejudice in a lighthearted and engaging way.
Die-hard Austen fans who are expecting a 1:1 remix are not going to find that here, and of course they won't. MOST ARDENTLY is not intended to be, and it's honestly exactly what I was hoping for. The writing and dialogue preserve the Regency era feel, but the story has been expertly condensed to a YA pace and . I simply couldn't put it down once I truly got into the groove, and it was all I was thinking about every time I had to pause for even a moment.
If you're a fan of Pride & Prejudice, of trans boys finding love and happiness, historical romances, and happy endings, I cannot recommend this one enough, but do be sure to read the author's note at the beginning for content warnings. Please preorder and support this wonderful series!
❧ 4.5 ★
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deadnaming and Transphobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Age 16 by Rosena Fung
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ARC received in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Annick Press!
Age 16 is a moving coming-of-age story across nearly fifty years that tells the tale of Roz and her mother, Lydia, and grandmother, Mei Laan, and how hard being 16 is across generations. From Toronto to Hong Kong to Guandong, all three girls face trials that bleed into their relationships and illustrate a crucial, emotional portrait of generational trauma and young girlhood.
I didn't love the pacing and art style all the time, but the way the grandmother and mother interacted, the fractures in their relationships, they all hit incredibly close to home and I am very glad to see this join a beautiful literary canon of young adult graphic novels. It really speaks to both the teen experience and the adult experience in a way that makes me wonder if I'll appreciate this even more when I get older. If you're a fan of The Magic Fish or Mariko Tamaki's work, I would recommend giving AGE 16 a try.
❧ 3.5 ★
Age 16 is a moving coming-of-age story across nearly fifty years that tells the tale of Roz and her mother, Lydia, and grandmother, Mei Laan, and how hard being 16 is across generations. From Toronto to Hong Kong to Guandong, all three girls face trials that bleed into their relationships and illustrate a crucial, emotional portrait of generational trauma and young girlhood.
I didn't love the pacing and art style all the time, but the way the grandmother and mother interacted, the fractures in their relationships, they all hit incredibly close to home and I am very glad to see this join a beautiful literary canon of young adult graphic novels. It really speaks to both the teen experience and the adult experience in a way that makes me wonder if I'll appreciate this even more when I get older. If you're a fan of The Magic Fish or Mariko Tamaki's work, I would recommend giving AGE 16 a try.
❧ 3.5 ★
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder