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storyorc's reviews
643 reviews
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Time was well spent world building an undersea society of not-quite-mermaids who see and hear like sharks through the movement of water against their skin and electric signals. I've rarely seen such a considered, honest interrogation of self sacrifice vs community duty either. Even The Giver, with it's similar premise of one person holding a culture's memories, approaches it a different way. This one delves far deeper into intergenerational trauma and the guilt of wanting to live for yourself. The protagonist also reads as autistic to me, in a way that only highlights the dilemma of the situation.
Apparently Solomon is building on loose lore from a number of albums too, one contributing artist being Daveed Diggs who narrates the audiobook, and the collaborative ethos behind it explained at the end is inspiring.
Apparently Solomon is building on loose lore from a number of albums too, one contributing artist being Daveed Diggs who narrates the audiobook, and the collaborative ethos behind it explained at the end is inspiring.
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A quick, pleasant read. Tesh imbues her woods with a strangeness that is not fuelled by malice, just being something other than human. The final third tries to say something nuanced about moving on, or choosing not to, but the characters didn't quite distinguish themselves enough to me for me to want to linger with the story and tease it out (with the delightful possible exception of Mrs Silver). They are charming enough for the scope of this quick novella, however.
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
2.5
The tone, craft, and imagination is so good that it took me half the book to realise that each new story was either an unwanted interruption of the last, or a fascinating speedrun of a futuristic concept/dynamic that ended too soon. I would have preferred the content pick a few storylines and really dig in.
Some stories seemed to circle the same themes or even plots (e.g. crush on dying customer) though I may have just missed the fresh element in those. Despite this, I greatly enjoyed piecing together all the hints of previous narrators' fates which trickled through the novel. It created a big-picture connectedness that skillfully balanced out enough of the pain to prevent How Far We Go from becoming depressing.
The fantastical ending is a cool idea but I've seen it done more impactfully elsewhere. I was expecting an ending that centered the strong emotional core of the human stories.
Some stories seemed to circle the same themes or even plots (e.g. crush on dying customer) though I may have just missed the fresh element in those. Despite this, I greatly enjoyed piecing together all the hints of previous narrators' fates which trickled through the novel. It created a big-picture connectedness that skillfully balanced out enough of the pain to prevent How Far We Go from becoming depressing.
The fantastical ending is a cool idea but I've seen it done more impactfully elsewhere. I was expecting an ending that centered the strong emotional core of the human stories.
Hellblazer, Vol. 5: Dangerous Habits by Jamie Delano, Garth Ennis
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
3.5
The infamous devil trickery in the back half lives up to the hype but I didn't care for what the Golden Child/Magus arc in the first half did with a really interesting premise. Feels like the threads from Family Man that seemed they would carry through got lost in the weeds. That pig slaughterhouse issue will be back in my nightmares for sure though.
This volume has excellent new characters though. Upon first hearing about yet another old friend Constantine has never mentioned before, I was weary, but Brendan Finn is a good sort, and Kit has promise. Really though, I'm talking about Gabriel and Ellie (introduced here in issue 43). Even if the former should have been Sandman's Lucifer (c'mon he was right there, freshly out of hell). My favourite style of immortal is when they appear regular, maybe a little hotter or more intimidating but nothing crazy, and then they get one little line of the wackest shit that makes you go oh ok nope this is not a human and never has been.
Anyway, John is at his best in the second half here, both strategically and with the repercussions of his questionable morals causing him grief. And still managing to be a likable old sod despite it all(and by that, I mean risking throwing everyone into a cosmic hellwar to avoid the consequences of chain smoking) . Iconic.
This volume has excellent new characters though. Upon first hearing about yet another old friend Constantine has never mentioned before, I was weary, but Brendan Finn is a good sort, and Kit has promise. Really though, I'm talking about Gabriel and Ellie (introduced here in issue 43). Even if the former should have been Sandman's Lucifer (c'mon he was right there, freshly out of hell). My favourite style of immortal is when they appear regular, maybe a little hotter or more intimidating but nothing crazy, and then they get one little line of the wackest shit that makes you go oh ok nope this is not a human and never has been.
Anyway, John is at his best in the second half here, both strategically and with the repercussions of his questionable morals causing him grief. And still managing to be a likable old sod despite it all
Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Zone is everything I want from the unknowable. Also never loses sight of, or condemns, the little people, where many books would let themselves get seduced by the decision-makers.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
For anyone else unfamiliar with the Diné mythos, the beings, monsters, and cultural attitudes that sculpt this novel will be a fascinating peek. Post-flood Dinétah has danger and beauty at every corner. Special shout out to the trickster, Ma'ii, who was the perfect balance of unnerving and interesting.
The ending surprised in some refreshing ways - such as Neizghání not being the Big Bad - but was underwhelming in others - Maggie was too sharp to be that surprised by Kai's silver-tongue power, which had been blatant from the first encounter with Hastiin, and forgave too quickly . I've never asked a novel for more flashbacks before, but the love triangle would have been more compelling with a couple scenes to make Neizghání as appealing a choice as Kai too (and perhaps a little more negative impact from Kai's slipperiness). Also, it would have been interesting to see the one thing Maggie does that is as monstrous as she fears herself to be - beheading Atty based on faulty logic about evil spreading - actually factor into all the page time she spends grappling with her morality, in my opinion.
The ending surprised in some refreshing ways -
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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? No
3.5
A cheer for modern space exploration wrapped up in four lovely characters and four imaginative - and, at times, unbearable - alien worlds. Interstellar if it were more concerned with the virtues of science than the personal. That isn't to say Chambers loses sight of her characters in service of her message but there are times when it is clear she is speaking through our main character, Ariadne. This is not a bad thing, since this book is not about its plot, or even its characters, but about its spirit. It made me go donate to crowdfunded Copenhagen Suborbitals project so I guess it's doing something right.
Extra shout out to how the science comes across more documentary than technobabble, and how it is one of the few books I've read that puts its money where its mouth is when its characters claim to care more about the will of the people than their own ambitions.
Extra shout out to how the science comes across more documentary than technobabble, and how it is one of the few books I've read that puts its money where its mouth is when its characters claim to care more about the will of the people than their own ambitions.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Fascinating alien society that shines a big old spotlight on our own gender hang-ups, plus the shocking twist at the 25% mark of having an emotional through line? Le Guin does write like a misogynist 60s sci-fi writer but I'm willing to attribute most of that to the main speaker's character arc. I hope Earth has an Estraven prime minister ready when the aliens come.
Strongly considering buying the physical book just to change all the pronouns to xe/xir or something and then knocking my head into the wall so I can read it for the first time actually seeing the Gethenians as the 'ambisexual' beings they are without the baggage that comes with he/him.
Strongly considering buying the physical book just to change all the pronouns to xe/xir or something and then knocking my head into the wall so I can read it for the first time actually seeing the Gethenians as the 'ambisexual' beings they are without the baggage that comes with he/him.