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tiggum's reviews
726 reviews
Blades in the Dark by John Harper
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
The book is very well laid-out and contains such useful information about the game and setting that you can run a session with virtually no preparation (other than having read the book and, ideally, at least played before).
My only real criticism is that the setting seems to consist of all of the author's interests mashed together. I'd have preferred a more straight-forward crime-fiction setting rather than including the steampunk and ghosts and horrors outside the cities and so forth. When running the game myself I tend to de-emphasise the supernatural elements, but I'd have preferred they not be part of it at all. It's an issue I have with a lot of RPG settings, where I love the core concept but find myself less and less interested the more elements are added on top of it.
My only real criticism is that the setting seems to consist of all of the author's interests mashed together. I'd have preferred a more straight-forward crime-fiction setting rather than including the steampunk and ghosts and horrors outside the cities and so forth. When running the game myself I tend to de-emphasise the supernatural elements, but I'd have preferred they not be part of it at all. It's an issue I have with a lot of RPG settings, where I love the core concept but find myself less and less interested the more elements are added on top of it.
The Outcast Hours by Jared Shurin, Mahvesh Murad
slow-paced
3.0
Mostly fine, but nothing particularly memorable. A book that you finish but then wonder why you bothered.
Things We Found During the Autopsy by Kuzhali Manickavel
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I don't know what the fuck this is supposed to be but I hate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, and Blood
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Far too twee.
Dishonesty is the Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules to Live By by David Mitchell
slow-paced
Mitchell comes across as extremely conservative: not reactionary or right-wing, just generally uncomfortable with change and incapable of imagining it being for the better. "The system is terrible, but unfortunately better things aren't possible" could be the tagline for this book. His view seems to be that things are bad and will remain bad, unless they get worse.
Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Depressingly plausible. My reaction to the future Amsterdam imagines is "yeah, probably." I don't need fiction to tell me what a world of ever-worsening natural disasters and plagues would be like, I can just wait and see first-hand.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, and Medical content
The Good Son by Russel D. McLean
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The mystery is a bit lacklustre. It's never particularly intriguing, and the final reveal is neither the missing piece that makes it all make sense nor a twist, it's just some more of the story, I guess. But the biggest problem with the book is the excessive focus on the protagonist's dead fiancée and his resultant ennui. It's unnecessary and transparent; a textbook example of women in refrigerators.
Those points aside, the book is mostly fine. I'll probably read the second one, at some point, since I have it as well, but I'm not in any rush to get to it. For a first book, it shows promise, so if his later ones improve on it they'll be worth getting to. And the dead fiancée does seem to be basically dealt with as a motivating factor at this point so hopefully there won't be so much of that in the later ones.
Those points aside, the book is mostly fine. I'll probably read the second one, at some point, since I have it as well, but I'm not in any rush to get to it. For a first book, it shows promise, so if his later ones improve on it they'll be worth getting to. And the dead fiancée does seem to be basically dealt with as a motivating factor at this point so hopefully there won't be so much of that in the later ones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Homophobia, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Automated Alice by Jeff Noon
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 18%.
I'm pretty sure Noon likes Lewis Carroll, L Frank Baum and Terry Pratchett, Unfortunately, he's not in their league. Take their writing and flatten it out: remove the wit, the whimsy, and the creativity and you'll have this book.
Osama by Lavie Tidhar
mysterious
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? Yes
I gave this book the benefit of the doubt because it seemed like it was going somewhere, but it turns out it was going to the most obvious and hacky place it possibly could have. The moment-to-moment writing is good, but the plot is frustrating because the protagonist simply refuses to engage with it. Repeatedly, he's told things that he doesn't understand and he essentially shrugs and keeps going without seeking any clarification - often even telling other characters that he understands what they mean when he absolutely does not. And there is a reason for that, but it is absolutely not a satisfying one and it takes far too long to get to it.
Despite its flaws, it might have worked as a short story. But it does not work as a novel.
Despite its flaws, it might have worked as a short story. But it does not work as a novel.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Alanya to Alanya by L. Timmel Duchamp
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book is very good, but very bleak. The state of the world at the beginning is entirely plausible, and the idea that the only thing that can prevent or undo it is the arrival of godlike aliens all too easy to accept. Yes, it would be very nice if some friendly aliens showed up and fixed everything - and this is certainly a more realistic portrayal of that concept than the more common options of utopia imposed without resistance, or spontaneous and unanimous raising of consciousness - but the basic premise is still entirely unrealistic. No one's coming to save us.
The only issue I had with the book otherwise was that the protagonists'sselective amnesia is awfully convenient, allowing her to be the sort of person she needs to be for the plot to happen while being in a position that that sort of person would never be in. It's fine though. It works.
The only issue I had with the book otherwise was that the protagonists's
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Violence and Stalking