Ash
This one was a dichotomy for me. It was good sci fi. It kept me going, very well done. But the story itself left me feeling ick; there's only so long you can spend in a hopeless place. It's the first in a trilogy, and I'll pick up the rest because I suspect the groundwork has been laid now.
This one was a dichotomy for me. It was good sci fi. It kept me going, very well done. But the story itself left me feeling ick; there's only so long you can spend in a hopeless place. It's the first in a trilogy, and I'll pick up the rest because I suspect the groundwork has been laid now.
The series up until this point has been fine but not amazing. This book was the first one that grabbed me and drew me in from start to finish. Fast paced, lots of action and suspense, politics, drama, and an interesting big bad.
I don't like Holden as a character, I think he's inconsistently written. And there was a slightly odd “we don't know how to write women” moment. But overally, the book was great.
The series up until this point has been fine but not amazing. This book was the first one that grabbed me and drew me in from start to finish. Fast paced, lots of action and suspense, politics, drama, and an interesting big bad.
I don't like Holden as a character, I think he's inconsistently written. And there was a slightly odd “we don't know how to write women” moment. But overally, the book was great.
I feel like these are getting better as the series progresses. Maybe that's partly because of the emotional attachment, but the writing has definitely improved. This one was a super compelling action-packed narrative that I couldn't put down (as evidenced by my 3am bedtime on a school night). Politics, relationship dynamics, and a minor apocalypse, what more could you want? The cliffhanger was somewhat of a flatline, but I don't especially mind. Just means we've got some unresolved drama that I can't wait to dive into in the next book.
I feel like these are getting better as the series progresses. Maybe that's partly because of the emotional attachment, but the writing has definitely improved. This one was a super compelling action-packed narrative that I couldn't put down (as evidenced by my 3am bedtime on a school night). Politics, relationship dynamics, and a minor apocalypse, what more could you want? The cliffhanger was somewhat of a flatline, but I don't especially mind. Just means we've got some unresolved drama that I can't wait to dive into in the next book.
Interesting that this one came out of the pandemic, a time when simply going to the coffee shop was considered high fantasy. It was pretty cute, I liked it.
Interesting that this one came out of the pandemic, a time when simply going to the coffee shop was considered high fantasy. It was pretty cute, I liked it.
Interesting that this one came out of the pandemic, a time when simply going to the coffee shop was considered high fantasy. It was pretty cute, I liked it.
Interesting that this one came out of the pandemic, a time when simply going to the coffee shop was considered high fantasy. It was pretty cute, I liked it.
This was fine. Good read. I'd rate four stars because I enjoyed it, though the humour did get tiring in places. But I added an extra star to negate the homophobic Karen with the algorithmically promoted Goodreads review I had the immense displeasure of reading just now. Cheers, love.
This was fine. Good read. I'd rate four stars because I enjoyed it, though the humour did get tiring in places. But I added an extra star to negate the homophobic Karen with the algorithmically promoted Goodreads review I had the immense displeasure of reading just now. Cheers, love.
“Queer people don't grow up as ourselves, we grow up playing a version of ourselves that sacrifices authenticity to minimise humiliation & prejudice. The massive task of our adult lives is to unpick which parts of ourselves are truly us & which parts we've created to protect us.”
This one was a bit real at the start. Growing up gay in the Queensland public school system was fine enough, but it was a time of incredible shame and confusion and it was uncomfortable reading those early chapters. The rest of the book deals in drugs, drag and stardom, but eventually comes to a heartwarming conclusion about gender identity and self. It was sweet, and I learned a couple of things.
“Queer people don't grow up as ourselves, we grow up playing a version of ourselves that sacrifices authenticity to minimise humiliation & prejudice. The massive task of our adult lives is to unpick which parts of ourselves are truly us & which parts we've created to protect us.”
This one was a bit real at the start. Growing up gay in the Queensland public school system was fine enough, but it was a time of incredible shame and confusion and it was uncomfortable reading those early chapters. The rest of the book deals in drugs, drag and stardom, but eventually comes to a heartwarming conclusion about gender identity and self. It was sweet, and I learned a couple of things.
A compelling enough murder mystery, and a fun romp through an interesting world. But the way this was anchored around a young Elizabeth I—a 13 year old—narrating some fairly lewd sexcapades felt super contrived and a more than a bit tasteless.
A compelling enough murder mystery, and a fun romp through an interesting world. But the way this was anchored around a young Elizabeth I—a 13 year old—narrating some fairly lewd sexcapades felt super contrived and a more than a bit tasteless.
This was fine. Good but slow. You can practically smell the film adaptation on it.
This was fine. Good but slow. You can practically smell the film adaptation on it.