Adeline
4 stars
*spoilers
Literary fiction following Edie, a young black woman who starts an affair with Eric, a middle aged white man, and her subsequent meetings with Eric’s wife Rebecca and their adopted black daughter Akila.
This was truly a character driven novel that explored the life of a black woman in the US.
I really liked the writing which was lush and evocative. There was a frantic pace in the writing, a stream of consciousness that parallels the main character’s personal and professional situations.
Other reviewers described the tone as cold and detached but personally I’ve found it more like burning hot, as you feel the desperation of Edie to exist, to feel, to be seen, to be remembered, the overwhelming sense of her desires and fears, her sadistic/masochist tendencies all exacerbated with the particular writing style full of the long sentences, lack of punctuation, particular vocabulary.
I really loved the New York setting and it made me want to go back there one day.
Unfortunately the pacing felt off, especially the ending part taking place at Comic Con and it’s aftermath, like the ending of her relationship with Eric felt too rushed. Also those scenes with Eric were less interesting too me as I actually preferred her scenes with Rebecca and Akila and I wished we had seen more of them, especially Akila. I also really liked the scenes about Edie’s artistic endeavours and her love for painting.
I absolutely loved the ending that really brought into a sharp, final focus what the whole story was about.
4 stars
*spoilers
Literary fiction following Edie, a young black woman who starts an affair with Eric, a middle aged white man, and her subsequent meetings with Eric’s wife Rebecca and their adopted black daughter Akila.
This was truly a character driven novel that explored the life of a black woman in the US.
I really liked the writing which was lush and evocative. There was a frantic pace in the writing, a stream of consciousness that parallels the main character’s personal and professional situations.
Other reviewers described the tone as cold and detached but personally I’ve found it more like burning hot, as you feel the desperation of Edie to exist, to feel, to be seen, to be remembered, the overwhelming sense of her desires and fears, her sadistic/masochist tendencies all exacerbated with the particular writing style full of the long sentences, lack of punctuation, particular vocabulary.
I really loved the New York setting and it made me want to go back there one day.
Unfortunately the pacing felt off, especially the ending part taking place at Comic Con and it’s aftermath, like the ending of her relationship with Eric felt too rushed. Also those scenes with Eric were less interesting too me as I actually preferred her scenes with Rebecca and Akila and I wished we had seen more of them, especially Akila. I also really liked the scenes about Edie’s artistic endeavours and her love for painting.
I absolutely loved the ending that really brought into a sharp, final focus what the whole story was about.
4 stars
Japanese translated literary fiction following Keiko, a young woman who’s whole life revolves around her job as a convenience store clerk.
As always Japanese fiction excels in portraying real life and its simplicity/ complexity, beauty/ugliness in a realistic and unadorned way. I just love how ‘slice of life’ fiction allows to explore and talk truthfully and profoundly about ourselves and our society. Here the author broaches into themes on social expectations, misogyny, patriarchy, gender equality and work culture.
I read that autistic /on the spectrum people have drawn parallels between their experience and the main character’s. I personally never been diagnosed as neurodivergent so I’m not sure how accurate or unproblematic it was. I agreed with some of her observations and felt empathy towards her. While not everything she did resonated with me but it was certainly eye opening and compelling to read.
The tone was definitely quirky and offbeat, I didn’t feel 100% connected to the story or the characters, something was missing for me. Still the pace was fast and the book short, so this was definitely a page turner, a digestible story readable in one sitting.
I would totally see an Japanese adaptation (film or mini series) for this.
Overall this was a cute quirky fast read, though it wasn’t utterly transcendent experience for me.
4 stars
Japanese translated literary fiction following Keiko, a young woman who’s whole life revolves around her job as a convenience store clerk.
As always Japanese fiction excels in portraying real life and its simplicity/ complexity, beauty/ugliness in a realistic and unadorned way. I just love how ‘slice of life’ fiction allows to explore and talk truthfully and profoundly about ourselves and our society. Here the author broaches into themes on social expectations, misogyny, patriarchy, gender equality and work culture.
I read that autistic /on the spectrum people have drawn parallels between their experience and the main character’s. I personally never been diagnosed as neurodivergent so I’m not sure how accurate or unproblematic it was. I agreed with some of her observations and felt empathy towards her. While not everything she did resonated with me but it was certainly eye opening and compelling to read.
The tone was definitely quirky and offbeat, I didn’t feel 100% connected to the story or the characters, something was missing for me. Still the pace was fast and the book short, so this was definitely a page turner, a digestible story readable in one sitting.
I would totally see an Japanese adaptation (film or mini series) for this.
Overall this was a cute quirky fast read, though it wasn’t utterly transcendent experience for me.
4.25 stars
Literary fiction with element of horror and Shakespeare’s King Lear set in dystopian world full of weird cults and never ending rainfalls, it follows three estranged sisters, Isla, Irene and (born from a second marriage) Agnes after the death of their father.
My second book by Julia Armfiled and overall this was a really good reading experience. Like the previous novel I read, her writing is superb, lush and evocative, every sentence carefully crafted and chosen.
I really liked the three main characters and they all came across as compelling and complex, and I especially loved their sapphicness.
I also loved the dystopian setting and the overall feeling of an impeding doom that slips slowly through the page like humidity, the inevitability of it all. Cli(mate)-fiction is a sub genre of dystopia/sci-fi that I tend to like and would love to delve into more.
It felt light on plot I think the whole cult mentioned in the synopsis wasn’t as prevalent as I thought and came too late into the story, so it had less of an impact and felt rushed. I was a bit disappointed because it was a really interesting element that increased the overall horror vibe of the novel. Because of that the pacing felt a bit off too, though I really liked the ending that felt appropriately bittersweet.
Overall,quite a good novel but one that didn’t totally meet my expectations, still I’m looking forward to read more of Julia Armfield’s other books (I’ve got her short stories collection Salt Slow in my physical tbr).
4.25 stars
Literary fiction with element of horror and Shakespeare’s King Lear set in dystopian world full of weird cults and never ending rainfalls, it follows three estranged sisters, Isla, Irene and (born from a second marriage) Agnes after the death of their father.
My second book by Julia Armfiled and overall this was a really good reading experience. Like the previous novel I read, her writing is superb, lush and evocative, every sentence carefully crafted and chosen.
I really liked the three main characters and they all came across as compelling and complex, and I especially loved their sapphicness.
I also loved the dystopian setting and the overall feeling of an impeding doom that slips slowly through the page like humidity, the inevitability of it all. Cli(mate)-fiction is a sub genre of dystopia/sci-fi that I tend to like and would love to delve into more.
It felt light on plot I think the whole cult mentioned in the synopsis wasn’t as prevalent as I thought and came too late into the story, so it had less of an impact and felt rushed. I was a bit disappointed because it was a really interesting element that increased the overall horror vibe of the novel. Because of that the pacing felt a bit off too, though I really liked the ending that felt appropriately bittersweet.
Overall,quite a good novel but one that didn’t totally meet my expectations, still I’m looking forward to read more of Julia Armfield’s other books (I’ve got her short stories collection Salt Slow in my physical tbr).
4.5 stars
Contemporary literary fiction about Mickey, a kindergarten teacher struggling with an alcohol addiction, is made to attend therapy as a condition to inherit a fortune from her estranged and recently deceased father, unaware that her psychologist is her half sister Arlo who has been cut off from the will.
This novel by Morgan Dick was such a great debut, I devoured this in day !
The writing was really great with the right mix of humour and emotional sensitivity.
I really liked the two main characters, who despite their flaws and questionable actions still had enough qualities and self awareness to make me care about them and root for them. I loved how each of their point of views was unique but also had some similarities in their thoughts during certain scenes.
The side characters were also well drawn out and a couple I couldn’t help but dislike.
I love how the author tackled the themes of family, grief, mental health, addiction, therapy, inheritance, forgiveness and gaslighting.
The pacing was overall really good, and I really liked the ending which felt rightfully optimistic without being too cheesy.
There’s a couple of minor elements I wasn’t a fan of, like some plot elements were resolved a bit quickly or brushed off and some stuff I wanted to see more developed.
Ultimately this was an incredible debut and I’m looking forward to see Morgan Dick’s future works.
4.5 stars
Contemporary literary fiction about Mickey, a kindergarten teacher struggling with an alcohol addiction, is made to attend therapy as a condition to inherit a fortune from her estranged and recently deceased father, unaware that her psychologist is her half sister Arlo who has been cut off from the will.
This novel by Morgan Dick was such a great debut, I devoured this in day !
The writing was really great with the right mix of humour and emotional sensitivity.
I really liked the two main characters, who despite their flaws and questionable actions still had enough qualities and self awareness to make me care about them and root for them. I loved how each of their point of views was unique but also had some similarities in their thoughts during certain scenes.
The side characters were also well drawn out and a couple I couldn’t help but dislike.
I love how the author tackled the themes of family, grief, mental health, addiction, therapy, inheritance, forgiveness and gaslighting.
The pacing was overall really good, and I really liked the ending which felt rightfully optimistic without being too cheesy.
There’s a couple of minor elements I wasn’t a fan of, like some plot elements were resolved a bit quickly or brushed off and some stuff I wanted to see more developed.
Ultimately this was an incredible debut and I’m looking forward to see Morgan Dick’s future works.
4.25 stars
Historical paranormal horror mystery set after World War 1, it follows Kitty a young runway who falsely claims to be a nurse and arrives into a mental institution set in a private estate where strange things are happening.
This is the second book by Simone St James that I’m reading and I have to say I’ve definitely preferred this to the previous one I read.
The atmosphere here was gothic and eerie, with some nice imagery, through the horror wasn’t really gory or disturbing so I wasn’t really creeped out most of the time. I really liked the setting of the mansion and the historical elements were perfectly rendered.
The writing style is as her other book good but not incredible, though I found it much more engaging.
For this book, the pacing was well executed, which made for a good page turner and I really liked how the story was resolved.
I loved the main character Kitty, who was compelling to read, her strength and will to survived were inspiring and I was really rooting for her. The side characters were also interesting and well written.
I mostly liked the romantic subplot though I felt it moved a bit too quickly, alongside other minor plot elements and character arcs.
Overall a positive reading experience for this particular book by Simone St James and I’m looking forward to read two other books I bought by her.
4.25 stars
Historical paranormal horror mystery set after World War 1, it follows Kitty a young runway who falsely claims to be a nurse and arrives into a mental institution set in a private estate where strange things are happening.
This is the second book by Simone St James that I’m reading and I have to say I’ve definitely preferred this to the previous one I read.
The atmosphere here was gothic and eerie, with some nice imagery, through the horror wasn’t really gory or disturbing so I wasn’t really creeped out most of the time. I really liked the setting of the mansion and the historical elements were perfectly rendered.
The writing style is as her other book good but not incredible, though I found it much more engaging.
For this book, the pacing was well executed, which made for a good page turner and I really liked how the story was resolved.
I loved the main character Kitty, who was compelling to read, her strength and will to survived were inspiring and I was really rooting for her. The side characters were also interesting and well written.
I mostly liked the romantic subplot though I felt it moved a bit too quickly, alongside other minor plot elements and character arcs.
Overall a positive reading experience for this particular book by Simone St James and I’m looking forward to read two other books I bought by her.
Literary gothic horror mystery translated from Swedish, following Rafa a young woman who goes working with eight other seasonal workers in a desolate hotel in the mountains.
This was…an interesting reading experience.
This was really a slow burn, all vibes no plot, (no character arc actually) kind of story.
The writing style was very hypnotic, lush and gothic, like a dark fairytale. Because the writing was very descriptive and with lots of surrealistic imagery and metaphors, the atmosphere felt oppressive, like a fever dream. For most part I liked that atmosphere but the story became less interesting as pages went by, sometimes overwritten, not helped by the lack of plot or character arc.
Also some sentences were a bit clunky, but I’m unsure if it was in the original writing or because of the translation. I did like the use of the “we” pronouns that strengthen that eerie, strange atmosphere.
The characters were not totally compelling or fully fleshed out people but I did like the girlhood they created in their circumstances.
Because the location and period was vague, it felt like an out of time story, simultaneously historical and dystopian.
I liked how the author tackled the theme of feminicide, girlhood, social expectations and patriarchy though I felt it was not developed enough.
I also liked the uncertainty, unanswered questions and open ending.
Not a perfect reading experience but thankfully it was a quick novel that could be read in one sitting.
Literary gothic horror mystery translated from Swedish, following Rafa a young woman who goes working with eight other seasonal workers in a desolate hotel in the mountains.
This was…an interesting reading experience.
This was really a slow burn, all vibes no plot, (no character arc actually) kind of story.
The writing style was very hypnotic, lush and gothic, like a dark fairytale. Because the writing was very descriptive and with lots of surrealistic imagery and metaphors, the atmosphere felt oppressive, like a fever dream. For most part I liked that atmosphere but the story became less interesting as pages went by, sometimes overwritten, not helped by the lack of plot or character arc.
Also some sentences were a bit clunky, but I’m unsure if it was in the original writing or because of the translation. I did like the use of the “we” pronouns that strengthen that eerie, strange atmosphere.
The characters were not totally compelling or fully fleshed out people but I did like the girlhood they created in their circumstances.
Because the location and period was vague, it felt like an out of time story, simultaneously historical and dystopian.
I liked how the author tackled the theme of feminicide, girlhood, social expectations and patriarchy though I felt it was not developed enough.
I also liked the uncertainty, unanswered questions and open ending.
Not a perfect reading experience but thankfully it was a quick novel that could be read in one sitting.
Literary fiction translated from Swedish, follows a Swedish writer on holiday in Spain who encounters a local man, discovering his weird past that involves meeting a maimed nun.
My first book by Lina Wolff this was overall a good reading experience. I wasn’t expecting the atmosphere to be that surreal, absurd and twisted, with a melodramatic and slight darkly humorous tone to it. The writing was sharp and evocative with some beautiful turn of phrases.
The characters were compelling to read but in a train wrecks and unlikeable sort of way. We follow three points of view but the way it was written made the pacing quite chaotic with some parts that felt a bit long and others too short. Despite that it kind of parallel what life is essentially and it still felt like a page turner though I don’t really saw any horror or mystery tension
The author approached various themes throughout this book like good/evil, actions/consequences, punishment/retribution, repentance, lust for life, morality, repression, nihilism, illness, social media and television as a tool etc etc
Despite that there was something lacking for me (not caring for the characters, not enough emotional pull? ), and the pacing wasn’t my favourite thing because it took me a bit out of the story so I had to knock down a star.
Overall a good book and I’m looking forward to read her next book on my physical tbr.
Literary fiction translated from Swedish, follows a Swedish writer on holiday in Spain who encounters a local man, discovering his weird past that involves meeting a maimed nun.
My first book by Lina Wolff this was overall a good reading experience. I wasn’t expecting the atmosphere to be that surreal, absurd and twisted, with a melodramatic and slight darkly humorous tone to it. The writing was sharp and evocative with some beautiful turn of phrases.
The characters were compelling to read but in a train wrecks and unlikeable sort of way. We follow three points of view but the way it was written made the pacing quite chaotic with some parts that felt a bit long and others too short. Despite that it kind of parallel what life is essentially and it still felt like a page turner though I don’t really saw any horror or mystery tension
The author approached various themes throughout this book like good/evil, actions/consequences, punishment/retribution, repentance, lust for life, morality, repression, nihilism, illness, social media and television as a tool etc etc
Despite that there was something lacking for me (not caring for the characters, not enough emotional pull? ), and the pacing wasn’t my favourite thing because it took me a bit out of the story so I had to knock down a star.
Overall a good book and I’m looking forward to read her next book on my physical tbr.
4.75 stars
Literary fiction translated from Danish, follow a group of five university friends reuniting for a summer holiday at a lakeside cabin in the Danish countryside.
I actually devoured this gorgeous in a day ! The translated writing was gorgeous, I loved the atmosphere in it, the lush, sultry and queer feel of it was delicious, the author painted such a vivid picture of a series of hot and sensual moments in a summer lake house.
Light on plot this felt definitely like a character centric story with an omniscient 3rd pov.We don’t see one of the central character inner feelings which I would have liked to see and I would have liked to hear from some of the characters. I liked all of the characters, who felt like real human beings with complex feelings, negative and positive traits. Throughout the book some characters show changes while others don’t, and it made for a realistic story.
The author did a great job interweaving various themes on sexuality, gender, feminism, (in)dependency, platonic/sexual relationships, queerness etc and I liked what she had to say on these subjects.
It has an open abrupt ending and some subplots weren’t 100% resolved or resolved too quickly. With the type of story this book told it didn’t bother me much but this added to a couple of elements kept me from giving this a full 5 stars.
Overall a really incredible debut I’ll be looking forward to read more books by Linea Maja Ernst.
4.75 stars
Literary fiction translated from Danish, follow a group of five university friends reuniting for a summer holiday at a lakeside cabin in the Danish countryside.
I actually devoured this gorgeous in a day ! The translated writing was gorgeous, I loved the atmosphere in it, the lush, sultry and queer feel of it was delicious, the author painted such a vivid picture of a series of hot and sensual moments in a summer lake house.
Light on plot this felt definitely like a character centric story with an omniscient 3rd pov.We don’t see one of the central character inner feelings which I would have liked to see and I would have liked to hear from some of the characters. I liked all of the characters, who felt like real human beings with complex feelings, negative and positive traits. Throughout the book some characters show changes while others don’t, and it made for a realistic story.
The author did a great job interweaving various themes on sexuality, gender, feminism, (in)dependency, platonic/sexual relationships, queerness etc and I liked what she had to say on these subjects.
It has an open abrupt ending and some subplots weren’t 100% resolved or resolved too quickly. With the type of story this book told it didn’t bother me much but this added to a couple of elements kept me from giving this a full 5 stars.
Overall a really incredible debut I’ll be looking forward to read more books by Linea Maja Ernst.
Historical fiction taking place on a remote Scottish island in the 1840s where a young church minister John is sent to evict its only inhabitant a man called Ivar, and despite their lack of common language form a bond while John’s wife Mary waits for him to come back to the mainland.
This was a lovely little story, a novella really that is readable in one setting.
The writing was good, straightforward and evocative the author did a great job describing the atmosphere of the Scottish island and its landscape, the harsh life of Ivar on this desolated land.
Pacing wise, the story felt a bit short for me and I wished we had spent more time in establishing the relation between John and Ivar. While the relationship felt wholesome , especially the queerness of it, it was but a bit too rushed for my taste and I didn’t feel completely emotionally connected to it.
There were several flashbacks and scenes some involving John’s wife on the mainland that while interesting in fleshing out the characters and the story, I think I would have preferred them in a longer novel. Here there seem to distract me from the main story. The ending felt a bit rushed too.
I really liked all the characters and how they ended up at the end of the story, especially their easy acceptance of each other. The fascination for language and translation was also a lovely theme added to this story’s other themes of love and acceptance.
Overall, though not perfect, this was a great tender little story with great prose and lovely characters.
Historical fiction taking place on a remote Scottish island in the 1840s where a young church minister John is sent to evict its only inhabitant a man called Ivar, and despite their lack of common language form a bond while John’s wife Mary waits for him to come back to the mainland.
This was a lovely little story, a novella really that is readable in one setting.
The writing was good, straightforward and evocative the author did a great job describing the atmosphere of the Scottish island and its landscape, the harsh life of Ivar on this desolated land.
Pacing wise, the story felt a bit short for me and I wished we had spent more time in establishing the relation between John and Ivar. While the relationship felt wholesome , especially the queerness of it, it was but a bit too rushed for my taste and I didn’t feel completely emotionally connected to it.
There were several flashbacks and scenes some involving John’s wife on the mainland that while interesting in fleshing out the characters and the story, I think I would have preferred them in a longer novel. Here there seem to distract me from the main story. The ending felt a bit rushed too.
I really liked all the characters and how they ended up at the end of the story, especially their easy acceptance of each other. The fascination for language and translation was also a lovely theme added to this story’s other themes of love and acceptance.
Overall, though not perfect, this was a great tender little story with great prose and lovely characters.
4.25
Mystery thriller following Adam, a man who after the death of this wife devices to continue her in investigation into the death of several young women.
My first book by Ronald Malfi, this was overall a good reading experience.
I really liked the writing style, with its mix of 1st/2nd point of view and atmospheric tone, it felt darkly hypnotic and longing. I also liked how metaphorical the text felt with the use of horror/paranormal imagery to talk about grief, trauma, violence against women etc
The main character was compelling though a touch bland, while most of the side characters were interesting themselves.
The plot and mystery itself was intriguing and I liked how the author kept us guessing until the end.
This definitely was a slow burn, I liked this pace for most part of the book but it felt cumbersome at the end, which made the tension lacking, adding to the fact that to me some scenes and moments felt a bit superfluous.
Overall a good mystery that felt a bit too long but I’ll definitely check out Ronald Malfi’s other books.
4.25
Mystery thriller following Adam, a man who after the death of this wife devices to continue her in investigation into the death of several young women.
My first book by Ronald Malfi, this was overall a good reading experience.
I really liked the writing style, with its mix of 1st/2nd point of view and atmospheric tone, it felt darkly hypnotic and longing. I also liked how metaphorical the text felt with the use of horror/paranormal imagery to talk about grief, trauma, violence against women etc
The main character was compelling though a touch bland, while most of the side characters were interesting themselves.
The plot and mystery itself was intriguing and I liked how the author kept us guessing until the end.
This definitely was a slow burn, I liked this pace for most part of the book but it felt cumbersome at the end, which made the tension lacking, adding to the fact that to me some scenes and moments felt a bit superfluous.
Overall a good mystery that felt a bit too long but I’ll definitely check out Ronald Malfi’s other books.
4.25 review to come
4.75 stars
Mystery set in a British seaside town, where Adam, after his wild and hedonistic youth, settles as a goldsmith trying to find a more stability and to be near his young son. While mysterious and tragic events occurs at his work place, he meets a potential client, a young writer named Ophelia who has her own loneliness and struggles. As the strange occurrences are being investigated by a local Detective inspector, both Adam and Ophelia’s lives becomes increasingly intertwined.
This is Bonnie Burke-Patel’s sophomore novel and I’ve got to say this was another great read.
Like her first novel, her writing is lush and evocative, perfectly rendering the seaside city and its wild climate, with an eerie and gothic atmosphere .
As always her characters are compelling, complex characters and even the antagonists come off as real human beings and not mustache twirling Villains. I loved how her characters would weave relationships with each other without words, the author found a great job of showing feelings and acts with a minimal but impactful prose.
The pacing was just right and this was such a page turner with plenty of twists, so I inhaled it in a day. The last 30 pages felt both intense yet so emotional.
I loved how the author approached various themes of family, love, parenthood, trauma, secrets, loneliness…
Some tiny elements I wasn’t sure about the weaving of a fairy tale like stories into the main story which at times felt a bit redundant and distracting to me? I liked the dark undertones of it, but I guess not every part made an impact on me.
An other incredible story by Bonnie Burke-Patel, I’ll definitely look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.
4.75 stars
Mystery set in a British seaside town, where Adam, after his wild and hedonistic youth, settles as a goldsmith trying to find a more stability and to be near his young son. While mysterious and tragic events occurs at his work place, he meets a potential client, a young writer named Ophelia who has her own loneliness and struggles. As the strange occurrences are being investigated by a local Detective inspector, both Adam and Ophelia’s lives becomes increasingly intertwined.
This is Bonnie Burke-Patel’s sophomore novel and I’ve got to say this was another great read.
Like her first novel, her writing is lush and evocative, perfectly rendering the seaside city and its wild climate, with an eerie and gothic atmosphere .
As always her characters are compelling, complex characters and even the antagonists come off as real human beings and not mustache twirling Villains. I loved how her characters would weave relationships with each other without words, the author found a great job of showing feelings and acts with a minimal but impactful prose.
The pacing was just right and this was such a page turner with plenty of twists, so I inhaled it in a day. The last 30 pages felt both intense yet so emotional.
I loved how the author approached various themes of family, love, parenthood, trauma, secrets, loneliness…
Some tiny elements I wasn’t sure about the weaving of a fairy tale like stories into the main story which at times felt a bit redundant and distracting to me? I liked the dark undertones of it, but I guess not every part made an impact on me.
An other incredible story by Bonnie Burke-Patel, I’ll definitely look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.
4.5 stars * spoilers
Third book in the Saint of Steel quadrilogy, a Romantic high fantasy mystery, it follows another Paladin, Galen who alongside Piper a forensic doctor investigate mysterious mangled corpses that were discovered in their city by a gnole (animal like) constable, taking the three into a mysterious mansion
I loved this third book !! Like the previous entries in that world, the author did such a great job with the world building, constructing a fun and interesting mystery but also developing a non cringy romantic pairing, this type between two gay men.
I loved the main characters like the previous books, they both are well written, with their own struggles and strengths, not perfect and I especially loved their empathy towards each other and towards other people.
Unlike the previous book which I struggled with, the pacing in this one was so much better, a real page turning mystery without dragging it too much. I loved the underground maze like setting with booby traps that the characters are thrown into.
There were a couple of elements I wasn’t a fan of in regards to the plot or the relationship so that’s why I knocked half a star.
I’m looking forward to read the next and last entry in this wonderful series.
4.5 stars * spoilers
Third book in the Saint of Steel quadrilogy, a Romantic high fantasy mystery, it follows another Paladin, Galen who alongside Piper a forensic doctor investigate mysterious mangled corpses that were discovered in their city by a gnole (animal like) constable, taking the three into a mysterious mansion
I loved this third book !! Like the previous entries in that world, the author did such a great job with the world building, constructing a fun and interesting mystery but also developing a non cringy romantic pairing, this type between two gay men.
I loved the main characters like the previous books, they both are well written, with their own struggles and strengths, not perfect and I especially loved their empathy towards each other and towards other people.
Unlike the previous book which I struggled with, the pacing in this one was so much better, a real page turning mystery without dragging it too much. I loved the underground maze like setting with booby traps that the characters are thrown into.
There were a couple of elements I wasn’t a fan of in regards to the plot or the relationship so that’s why I knocked half a star.
I’m looking forward to read the next and last entry in this wonderful series.
Horror mystery set in New York ravaged by the Covid pandemic and mysterious anti-east Asian racist murders, following Cora a mixed White-Chinese American who works as a crime scene cleaner and is haunted by the hungry ghost of her recently murdered half sister.
This was such an incredible read.
The author’s style was lush and poetic with some great imagery.
The horror moments were really were written and properly gory, and the other non horror scenes sometimes had me gagging in disgust (like there’s a scene with wet hair that’s yucky to me).
I loved the themes of family, supernatural, racism, grief, mental health, media manipulation and police corruption.
I liked the main character, some might find her weak willed but she definitely grew as a character and you can’t help but feel for her. I loved especially the relationship she created with her coworkers.
The main mystery itself was interesting and I liked how it was the supernatural parts were interwoven together, but I wish it was paced a bit better. Some scenes felt a bit superfluous too.
Overall an incredibly well executed horror story that deals with supernatural and real monstrosities.
Horror mystery set in New York ravaged by the Covid pandemic and mysterious anti-east Asian racist murders, following Cora a mixed White-Chinese American who works as a crime scene cleaner and is haunted by the hungry ghost of her recently murdered half sister.
This was such an incredible read.
The author’s style was lush and poetic with some great imagery.
The horror moments were really were written and properly gory, and the other non horror scenes sometimes had me gagging in disgust (like there’s a scene with wet hair that’s yucky to me).
I loved the themes of family, supernatural, racism, grief, mental health, media manipulation and police corruption.
I liked the main character, some might find her weak willed but she definitely grew as a character and you can’t help but feel for her. I loved especially the relationship she created with her coworkers.
The main mystery itself was interesting and I liked how it was the supernatural parts were interwoven together, but I wish it was paced a bit better. Some scenes felt a bit superfluous too.
Overall an incredibly well executed horror story that deals with supernatural and real monstrosities.