Chris

A gentle confrontation of all of western liberalism, a condemnation of the ways we speak about horrific things “over there”. Those who dismiss the book as “could have been a New Yorker article”, as one criticism I read put it, are exactly the lawn-sign liberals that El Akkad is exhausted by. Real, meaningful resistance against the at best amoral world today takes a sacrifice that many, including myself, find so hard to muster. It is measured in the smallest acts building together. This book is a powerful reminder of how distant and removed we get to be from any of the consequences of the maw of the western world.

A riveting take on the time loop genre. Balle brings so much emotion to her heroine’s predicament, what it is like to tell your partner the same thing over and over, the way you grow apart, the complexities of a person who can only take from the world. I can’t wait to read more about Tara Selter.

Less carefree than The Blacktongue Thief, but no less gripping. Buehlman is able to depict brutal and tragic circumstances without it ever feeling cheap or maudlin. And even through it all things still feel hopeful and worth fighting for. That balance is no small feat and I can't wait for more from this world.

I am not generally a fan of books that are primarily the introduction to a story rather than the story itself, but I think that’s my own bias so I try not to hold it against Unsouled.

It’s a quick, fun read and I enjoyed how often the main character had to get out of trouble using his wits instead of any sort of “chosen one” latent magic. The magic system is somewhat confusing but what else is new. Ultimately the most valuable aspect of the book is that I want to read the next one, which is a huge accomplishment!

A genuinely fantastic journey that reminded me of a modern High Fidelity, following a guy post-breakup as he attempts to figure out where it all went wrong. Funny and warm, examining male relationships and our relationships with ourselves. Delightful!