Deza
The gods’ most savage curses come to us as answers to our own prayers. Prayer is a dangerous business.
If you enjoy books with a deeply developed main character, filled with court intrigues and political machinations, very interesting theological conversations a slow build narrative that feels like pieces of a puzzle coming tougher with each chapter
He felt very alone, but at least it was in good company. Welcome to sainthood, Cazaril. By the gods’ blessings, you get to host miracles! The catch is, you don’t get to choose what they are….
When SecUnit picked Sofi up I literally had to put the book down for a minute because this little huge detail kept replaying in my brain, but then Tula clung to It like a Koala bear and I nearly exploded with so much cuteness.
The book was so good with SecUnit once again going on a rescue mission for his friends that It almost made up for the fact that neither my caothic presaux fam nor ART were part of this book's plot. I say KEEP THEM COMING!!
(Emotion check: yeah, I really love Murderbot so fucking much)
p.s.: kudos for Kevin R. Free for once again delivering everything with his narration!
“The Father of Time is a stern patron.”
I really enjoyed this second installment in the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, it was chaotic and emotional in the best possible way and I'm looking forward to see how these complications will be handled in the next book. Although I believe it would have been much better without a certain romantic involvement becoming canon…
The Lies of Ajungo, a finalist for the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novella and my first 5-star read of the year is a quick, brutal, but also indispensable read that accomplishes in a few pages what many books twice its length fail to do. And I couldn't recommend it more.
There is no water in the City of Lies.
The Lies of Ajungo
“Speaker. As you know ... there are no heroes in the City of Lies.”
“No, Honored Oba,” he said. “There is one hero in the City of Lies.”
You must learn. Only by learning can you free us.
There was nothing left for him to learn.
The only thing left to do was free his city.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Othala Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead, while following his calling— with barely any sleep, drinking his weight in tea, and carrying his grief as a weighted blanket upon his shoulders —will get himself into a murder investigation and some random side quests that'll have him walking up and down the streets of Amalo collecting unwanted gossip (that might actually be useful) and a few attempts on his life.
“Thou art in love with thine own tragedy,”
The Tomb of Dragons
I glanced over my shoulder at Captain Olgarezh. “We regret that you are stuck guarding us.” “We do not,” said Captain Olgarezh.
shocked
“Dost thou love me?” “I love thee, and it grieves me greatly to see thee hurt. And, to tell thee the truth, it worries me more than a little that thou findst this so unfathomable. Do thy other friends not love thee?”
“I think you think of yourself so little that you don't see how you affect other people. But you do, you know.”
The Tomb of Dragons
“Thou dost nothing lightly. And I know thou wouldst not leave if thou hadst a choice.” “I would not,” I said. “And I will write.”
“Vanyel, what makes a Herald is the heart. A caring heart, that cares for others before itself. And you are a Herald.”
Wow, what a ride!
Magic's Pawn is an emotional start to what promises to be a beautiful coming-of-age journey, a book ahead of its time with the way it portrays queer characters and mental health issues such as depression, suicidal ideation, grief and more.
It's sad, beautiful, tragic and probably my next hyperfixation.
Vanyel has my hole heart for the time being (and probably a piece of it, forever).
Witches and curses or just a mental breakdown?
The Bewitching is a multigenerational tale that follows three women, separated by decades, who share similar paranormal experiences. With its dark and haunting atmosphere that gripes us from the very first chapter, the narrative weaves through the timelines with a beautiful, almost bewitched, writing.
Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches.
There were never any satisfactory answers, or there were, perhaps, too many to be able to glimpse the truth. A mystery is the most seductive of poisons; it intoxicates the soul.
She was beginning to grow restless.
She crossed her arms. She didn't like talking to people that much. Characters in books she could understand, and complicated academic arguments in papers were no problem. But people... they were a puzzle she couldn't quite crack. Too much time talking with others took a toll on her.
The Bewitching
Behind the membrane of normality of this summer evening lurked a foulness that she could not pinpoint, yet she sensed.
“Witches,” she said.
The moon, drifting across the sky, seemed to grin at Minerva, like a ferocious beast that shows its teeth.
- For those who prefer the audio format, the audiobook narrator did an incredible job with the nuances of each of protagonists in the different chapters, it's totally worth it.
The Crystal Shard is my first book in The Legend of Drizzt series and i really enjoyed it. The writing style is simple and straightforward, which keeps the narrative accessible and fast-paced. the worldbuilding isn't super original or groundbreaking, but it works very well as a backdrop for this story. But in truth, what really made the book stand out for me were the characters! Their personalities and the interactions between them constantly surprised me with the emotional intensity, (especially Drizzt that has the potential to become one of my favorite characters), they're engaging and well-crafted, and the book won me over quickly making this a really fun and enjoyable reading experience, despite, or even because of, the more basic elements. I super recommend it!
I'm in a “completely obsessed with queer retellings or subversive views of religious and biblical myths stories ” fase, and I couldn't not read the one who apparently started it all (at least it was the first to get into my radar).
and, although I loved the beautiful prose and all the concept of the creation and corruption of the main character in Angels Before Man, I couldn't help but to feel disconnected from the story at times because of the narrative style that I felt that messed with the pacing of the book and kept me at an arms length from really connecting with the characters and the overall story, but I believe that it is just a “me problem” since i'm not used to this kind of narrative style, and that will not keep me from reading the next book in this series some time in the future.
If it's queer and is subverting biblical stories, please count me in!
“He wonders which he wants more. Cruelty to give him everything he deserves, or tenderness to ease him gently into the next world?”
First Creation is a hauntingly beautiful and deeply unsettling novella with a narrative that kept me hooked from start to finish. I really enjoyed Mars Adler's writing and i'll definitely be reading more from this author.
⚠️ please check content warnings.