Sahi

It took me a while to get to this third book but it's always such a joy and so easy to find myself lost in a T. Kingfisher book.

I was actually planning to read this one through the audio just like I did the first two but I found myself suddenly impatient and continued with the kindle ebook, devouring the whole thing in just a couple of hours because it was such a delight to read. The writing is breezy despite the murder investigation and a huge part of the book being about surviving an ancient obstacle course of life and death, and even when the stakes are so high, the author manages to keep the proceedings emotional and personal.

Shane is a berserker like his brothers in arms and doesn't think he deserves love or companion in his life because of his nightmares, but he is a Paladin full of honor and sense of duty, and it's just so easy to like him. Piper on the other hand is kind of a medical examiner who might prefer working on dead humans instead of dealing with living ones and their emotions, but he is also equally all about helping people and believes in equality and Justice. It's obvious right from the get go that they are perfect for each other and the author creates some very dangerous and close proximal situations which help them see the other for who they are and develop feelings.

The trio is completed by the absolutely sincere gnole Earstripe who may be discriminated everyday in his position as guard because of his not being human, but that doesn't stop him from being extremely proud of his job and takes it seriously even when no one wants to listen to them. If this book is a love story of Piper and Shane on one hand, it's also the story of Earstripe's belief in getting to the truth as well as the overall perspective of gnoles in this world dominated by humans.

It's a perfectly blended story of love, friendship, and justice, and only T. Kingfisher can make both dark themes and joyful moments seem like they belong in the same book. I was initially worried that this series would only be a trilogy but the author recently confirmed that she is working currently on the fourth book and I'm delighted that we won't have to leave this world yet. In the meantime, I'm already eager to get to the author's upcoming novella.

This was intense !!!!! It was definitely a tough match to root for because even though Nick is my favorite, Kally is a sweetheart and I wanted none of them to lose. It was nice to see all the support for Kally, it shows this team is definitely capable of more than just hazing.

And the confrontation I was waiting for was finally here. I totally understand Nick's hatred for Jesse but he is definitely quite obsessed with Seiji. I hope his feelings will develop into something more very soon. And Seiji again proves he is so observant when it comes to Nick and let's see how soon he'll figure out the truth about Nick.

That was a totally unexpected cliffhanger but I'm much more interested in Harvard's insinuation... Did he really mean that 🤔🤔🤔

Merged review:

This was intense !!!!! It was definitely a tough match to root for because even though Nick is my favorite, Kally is a sweetheart and I wanted none of them to lose. It was nice to see all the support for Kally, it shows this team is definitely capable of more than just hazing.

And the confrontation I was waiting for was finally here. I totally understand Nick's hatred for Jesse but he is definitely quite obsessed with Seiji. I hope his feelings will develop into something more very soon. And Seiji again proves he is so observant when it comes to Nick and let's see how soon he'll figure out the truth about Nick.

That was a totally unexpected cliffhanger but I'm much more interested in Harvard's insinuation... Did he really mean that

I am totally absolutely in love with this issue. This was the match I was tensely excited for and it didn't disappoint.

We've only seen Aiden as the fun loving playboy till now but watching him take on Seiji was just wow. He is sly and underhanded and manipulative but Seiji also needs to learn to keep his cool. This match definitely showed to everyone that Seiji too has chinks in his armor and this will obviously make for some more interesting matches in the future.

However, the best part of this issue was Coach Williams's conversation with Nick. Her wisdom and advice is very important and relevant to everyone and I think it'll have a good impact on Nick and I can't wait to see his next match.

Bobby is still the cutest. And all the panels with Aiden's fan club cheering for him with pink heart eyes were so adorable. I mention this every time, but the artwork in this series is just beautiful and I can't stop gushing about it.

But... STOP WITH THE CLIFFHANGERS PLEASE !!!!

Merged review:

I am totally absolutely in love with this issue. This was the match I was tensely excited for and it didn't disappoint.

We've only seen Aiden as the fun loving playboy till now but watching him take on Seiji was just wow. He is sly and underhanded and manipulative but Seiji also needs to learn to keep his cool. This match definitely showed to everyone that Seiji too has chinks in his armor and this will obviously make for some more interesting matches in the future.

However, the best part of this issue was Coach Williams's conversation with Nick. Her wisdom and advice is very important and relevant to everyone and I think it'll have a good impact on Nick and I can't wait to see his next match.

Bobby is still the cutest. And all the panels with Aiden's fan club cheering for him with pink heart eyes were so adorable. I mention this every time, but the artwork in this series is just beautiful and I can't stop gushing about it.

But... STOP WITH THE CLIFFHANGERS PLEASE !!!!

Another wonderful issue and this was definitely on the funnier side.

After the way Nick entered at the end of the last issue, it was obvious he was going to win. But his confidence and sheer speed was marvelous and everyone was surprised. And Aiden cheering for him (without even knowing his name) is hilarious.

And wow is Coach just brilliant. Her trick to getting Seiji motivated after his loss is so surprising, but it worked and I guess that's why she is the Coach, and she definitely knows the strengths and weaknesses of every single one of the players.

That conversation between Nick and Seiji is definite foreshadowing for some explosive chemistry in the future. And I can't believe that Seiji is so observant of everything related to Nick. Is something brewing already 😜😜😜

And Bobby Bobby Bobby... the best friend and cheerleader possible and the sweetest person ever 😍😍😍 And his “indirect kissing” quote was so funny, I was laughing out loud.

Nick vs Aiden is coming up next and I can't wait 😁😁😁

Merged review:

Another wonderful issue and this was definitely on the funnier side.

After the way Nick entered at the end of the last issue, it was obvious he was going to win. But his confidence and sheer speed was marvelous and everyone was surprised. And Aiden cheering for him (without even knowing his name) is hilarious.

And wow is Coach just brilliant. Her trick to getting Seiji motivated after his loss is so surprising, but it worked and I guess that's why she is the Coach, and she definitely knows the strengths and weaknesses of every single one of the players.

That conversation between Nick and Seiji is definite foreshadowing for some explosive chemistry in the future. And I can't believe that Seiji is so observant of everything related to Nick. Is something brewing already

It's mostly a 4.5.

I bought this book because my dear friend Prachi loved it and while it's taken me a while to read it, it's really an eye opening book.

I think the main reason I wanted to pick this up is because I've only gotten to know about feminist movements after I moved to America and as such have hardly any knowledge about the movements that have come before in India, the diverse scholarship on the issues, as well as how the law works with respect to women's issues in the country and it's evolution over the decades. So, this was a very interesting and enlightening read for me where the author broadly discusses various issues that are intrinsically considered part of women's rights like the right to dignity, the right to work, the right to bodily autonomy, right to make choices in a system that is entrenched in patriarchy and heteronormativity - while also ensuring to elaborate that women's rights movements can't be separated from other movements happening in the country like those about caste discrimination or equality for LGBTQI+ people, nor is it possible to have uniform law across the board when we have multiple personal laws based on religions and no single one among them is completely on board with women's rights across every provision. The author stresses the importance of nuance in understanding these issues and intersectionality when we are trying to make changes to existing laws (even if she doesn't use that term) because the issues that we are fighting for are diverse and there is no one solution for them all.

Even though this book is about a decade old, I really appreciated the inclusivity in it and also how the author expounds on feminist scholarship from across the globe while also differentiating between the needs of the movement in western countries vs those like India which were colonized and western norms of patriarchy and family forced upon us, making us lose the various other forms of familial structures or local indigenous traditions we had. I really liked this book and will definitely want to go back to it again and again, and also try to read more about the feminist movements in India.

I've been in a bad reading slump for a while now but I should have put my total trust in the author because her delightful writing made me gobble this up in just two days. I was already in love with these characters from book one and fascinated by this world of gods and witches and ghosts and thieves and more, but the author manages to give us an even more fun, engaging, fast paced thrilling adventure in this sequel, along with some very very sweet romance.

While the tension is taut from page one till the end and that last page will leave you breathless for more, it's the earnest relationship and communication between our two demisexual leads that has my whole heart. Vanja and Emeric's talks about what it means to be together, overcoming trauma to be able to trust and love someone, breaking down the social mores of intimacy and building something unique to them, it was all written with care and a delicate touch, and will definitely leave a mark on any reader. And I can't wait to see what more the author has in store for them in the next installment because it's surely promising to be very intense from the word go.

I've been having a very hard reading these days, so all my arcs and books have fallen on the wayside. But when I found an audiobook for this book, I thought it would be a good short one to accompany me during my resting periods. And it worked very well.

For a novella, this book is emotionally very strong, evoking so many feelings in me like joy, shock, despair and more. The writing is just sublime and very easy to read, while also getting to know the details of this world full of monsters, where you can't be sure of even the monsters that are supposed to be on your side. The relationship between the rocs and the ruhkers was shown very beautifully, through multiple characters and their companions, but ultimately it was the fact that the animal companions are never gonna feel the same as their human handlers was what made this a heartfelt but ultimately bittersweet tale of unlikely friendships.

This book shows that Fonda Lee is amazing in any format of books, capturing so much in such a short book and leaving a strong impression on the reader. And it was strongly supported by very emotional narration by Nikki Massoud. Definitely recommend this if you wanna be carried away into a new world but are short on time.

More of a 3.5 that I'm rounding up.

It was a fine listen as an audiobook but I also didn't go in with any expectations. Also have no energy to write a detailed review.

Definitely a 4.5 and I'm rounding up.

I neglected writing this review for more than a month, so I don't have the words or energy to write now. But I thoroughly enjoyed this mostly cozy, cute romance and family story about finding love, grieving your losses, and still moving on. Totally worth winning the SPFBO award this year.

CW: discussions of racism, fatphobia

After reading three T. Kingfisher books, one thing I knew is that I would definitely be reading more of her works. But I'm unsure of which ones to choose because a lot of hers are horror or adjacent and it's not a genre I try to read much. But when I got the opportunity to get an audiobook of this one, I couldn't resist. And what a surprise that I finished the whole thing in one day.

As expected, this maybe gothic horror but the signature Kingfisher is ever present. We get the narrative through the single POV of Sam who is an archeoentomologist, and she is a hilarious character whose internal monologue kept me smiling through most of the book. Her quips about the low budgets her work departments have or about her experiences with working on bugs were all both illuminating and fun. But she is also a fat woman and that's mainly what endeared me to her - her sarcasm about how she gets treated by healthcare professionals who don't see anything beyond her weight, family members' obsession with how she looks and how she'll never find a man if she can't look normal - it all hit pretty close to home for me because these days most conversations with either my doctor or my parents seem to be about my weight which is endlessly frustrating. I could just feel her totally in these moments, though I also loved how she didn't let any of these comments get to her, which I usually do as well but currently having a bit of difficulty handling.

The setting is a creepy factor in itself because it's an old house in a small southern town with a significant vulture presence around, weird feeling garden which has no bugs, Sam's grandmother's wedding photograph with the groom in a confederate uniform, dubious family history and more. While there's a constant unsettling feeling through the book, it's only towards the last few chapters that it takes a full horror turn, which is probably why I blew through it so fast. The cast of characters is also quite intriguing - I loved Sam's scientific brain trying to reconcile with the weird things happening around her, her mom's erratic anxious behavior being very unlike her usual strong and liberal self, Phil the gardener who is a sweet guy helping around with an extremely paranoid gun-toting grandfather, and another neighbor Gayle who seems to know much more about the whole situation but is being tight lipped. Ofcourse, Sam's racist grandmother may have been dead for two decades but her presence is very much felt throughout the book. I did feel that Sam tried to excuse her Grand Mae's racism a bit towards the end and that left me uncomfortable, especially because Sam was pretty forthright about it before that.

Overall though, this was a funny, creepy, Southern gothic horror novel with a very eclectic cast of characters and I loved how it felt more like a slice of life kinda story until it all went upside down. The author does an awesome job keeping the proceedings light while also upping the creep factor bit by bit ultimately leading to a very earth shattering final act. It definitely helped that the audiobook is superbly narrated by the very popular Mary Robinette Kowal, who brings out the laughs and scares in equal measure. Now I can't wait for the author's next, Thornhedge releasing in August.

CW: contains sexist, homophobic, transphobic, racist & ableist attitudes, sexual assault including discussion of forced pregnancy, violence, child abuse, radicalisation as child abuse, genocide, suicidal ideation, and suicide (this info is from the author)

Probably a 3.5 and I'm rounding up to 4 but I'm not totally convinced.

I haven't read the author's previous novella duology but I've been very curious and eager to get to this book since I first saw the announcement. So I was definitely very excited when I got the audiobook from the publisher. Now, it did take me days to finish this but if it was the usual times, I could have probably done with it in a single sitting or two but my health these days doesn't let me focus for too long, so it took a little while. While I'm still unsure of the rating I've given, it was overall an enjoyable book.

I think I'm gonna have to talk randomly in this review instead of my usual organized style because my thoughts about this book feel very disjointed. Firstly, it's an easy and accessible read, something I usually wouldn't associate with an adult sci-fi novel, so maybe it was aimed at having more YA crossover appeal. The sciency aspects of it are treated more like a mysterious magic system in a fantasy world - there's a lot of “winging it” going on, not much explanation, but we kind of get what's happening - so it'll definitely work for a reader like me who isn't too much into hard sci-fi. There are a couple of twists - particularly the one at the halfway mark which was very surprising and kept me eagerly going - but otherwise the plot kind of moves in a predictable fashion. There are also multiple moments which feel like dues ex machina, but I will try to talk about it more in detail in the next paragraphs. If you don't want to read more of my thoughts about the themes (I'll try to avoid spoilers), you can probably stop reading my review now. My conclusion here would be it's an engaging enough sci-fi book if you go in with the right expectations, with some great action sequences but hand wavy science, and overall a simplistically written story.

Coming to what I'm still ruminating about. I had huge expectations from this book. The marketing of it as “queer space opera” was very enticing, the premise also felt very intriguing, and Shelley's blurb was very tempting, leading me to expect something much more explosive. Which this book is admittedly not. I also knew that the book had themes like racism, homophobia, transphobia, gender essentialism and more and am usually highly interested in checking out books with these themes and see how they are explored, which is where I think this book faltered.

I like the ambition of the author to want to tackle these issues. The setting of this story on a futuristic spaceship which is run more like fascist death cult, brainwashing children into believing the roles they are groomed for, bent on revenge against the alien species majoda for the destruction of earth - is actually very conducive for exploring the various themes in detail - but there are many limiting factors that come into play. The fact that it's a standalone book means the author needs to cram everything into less than 500 pages; which leads to a lot less nuance for each theme and more superficiality; we also only get to follow one POV (except for a few interludes which were excerpts from books or articles about humanity and were quite fun to read) and reading the whole story from the pov of one young brainwashed girl limits the scope a lot, because we are forced to see the world only through her small imagination. It was definitely worth it to see Kyr go from a completely believing in her destiny, brainwashed fascist bully to someone who slowly understands when the lies are peeled off, comes to terms with the fact that the foundation of her life was a lie, and decides to do something about it. But because we don't get the perspectives of anyone else, they all essentially become vessels to educate her about the lies and show the ugly truth. If I think even a bit deeply, it was actually hilarious that every other character in Kyr's orbit seems to realize that they are living in a death cult and what they are being taught is wrong, except Kyr who thinks it is her life's duty to avenge the lives of 14 billion souls lost on earth despite not even being born at the time of the destruction.

Gender essentialism and women being forced to bear children (or technically just male soldiers) is very much a core one philosophy of this cult and we as readers can feel it underneath the plot, but the way Kyr realizes that truth is very sudden and I felt there was not enough depth or reflection about something so important. There is one token character of color who understands she is the token, can see the racism and the forced homogeneity in the breeding techniques in their cult, but ofcourse she has to bear the burden of opening Kyr's eyes to this. Even the fact that homophobia is wrong is something she has to realize due to dire personal circumstances, because otherwise she is homophobic herself and even her queer awakening felt not enough. I liked Kyr's growth but I think the impact of the story would have been better if we could have seen how the other characters were much more thoughtful than her and didn't fall for the propaganda completely.

As my friend Celeste has explained very well in her review, the other major themes of the book are revenge and the presence of an omnipotent/omniscient AI called wisdom. I liked the fact that we see Kyr grow out of her revenge craving xenophobic mindset to someone more compassionate and thoughtful, and we get to ruminate about who is worth saving and who is not and who gets to decide when one is in life and death circumstances. I liked that after some introspection by Kyr, we get to see more of the realization that sacrificing one's life for a higher purpose isn't always a good thing, sometimes just being alive is important, and violence and killing is really not justified in most circumstances and definitely not on a mass scale. Some of the deaths felt really impactful due to the fact that they really were a waste, but then the impact was lost because of the dues ex machina, namely the AI Wisdom.

The book definitely tries to make the point that even an omnipotent AI whose purpose to make a decision based on the best possible outcome for most beings, is not really a good thing. And I agree wholeheartedly with that point. Whether it's humans or in this book world, the various alien species, it's imperative that everyone gets to make a choice about their futures and not delegate it to a godlike AI (or maybe even powerful cult leaders), absolving oneself of responsibility. But this AI is the one plot device the author uses to warp realities and give the main character multiple chances to make different choices; the presence of the AI is also used to wing a lot of the sciency bits without having to explain any of the technical elements of the world building which ultimately just feels shallow; and the use of the AI as dues ex machina multiple times blunts the possible emotional punches, ultimately leaving me very very dissatisfied towards the end.

So looks like I've gone on a huge pointless rant here. If you've read till here, thank you so much for your patience. And as for what I ultimately feel about this book, I liked it enough but definitely was not satisfied. Maybe it was my fault for having too many expectations. But I think the story could have been better if it was more than a standalone, so that all the themes the author wanted to could have been explore in depth across multiple books. Now it just feels surface level and not enough. However, at the end, I do have to commend Sena Bryer for the excellent narration of the audiobook which definitely made this story a better experience.

Quite enjoyed listening to this audiobook because Lindy is always a very fun narrator. And while discussing myriad topics like her experiences with fat shaming, abortion, comedy, grief and death, rape culture, internet trolls and more, she gives us a lot to relate to and think about, while being laugh out loud funny as well as making us sad and enraged at moments. I've now finished all of her books and can't wait to see what she decides to write next.

Definitely a very interesting listen. There were things from history I knew already and some I learned, but I was definitely a bit surprised to know how awful and wrong the school history textbooks can be. I mean I've known this to happen in my Indian textbooks too but I think my childhood assumption of everything being better in America still persists somewhere in my head that I forgot that the narrative that history textbooks tell always have a political tint, tilting towards the government in power and attitudes in the country, even in the USA.

While I did like listening to this audiobook, I think I'll find this more valuable in the future when I'll have a school going kid in America. I'll surely get back to this book at the time and also hopefully look through the history textbooks available in the future to ensure my kid gets a more nuanced and updated perspective on things.

Definitely a 4.5 and I'm rounding it up.

It feels like I've been on a roll this Women's history month, reading nonfiction books about women's issues - both social and health related - and definitely enjoying this trend. After finishing Pussypedia last week, picking up Vagina Obscura felt like an organic choice and both these books go really well together, even though they are poles apart in tone. I'm gonna try but I don't think I can truly review this book.

So I'll just talk about what I liked about this and what it means to me at this stage of my life. One of the major premises of this book is that vaginas and all its associated organs are some of the least researched topics in healthcare and this is something that has long term effects - which I found particularly true because even though I'm in my late 30s, there are many many things about my body that I still don't know and it feels like even science doesn't know it. With each chapter here titled based on a singular organ (like the vulva, clitoris, vagina etc), the author does a brilliant job giving us the historical research that has gone into learning more about that organ, as well as any contemporary cutting edge research that is going on now, which might lead to exciting developments in the future. While some of the scientific terminology went totally over my head, the author is really great at making the overarching points very accessible to normal readers like me. I really learnt a lot through this book, and while it is always disheartening to see how women's healthcare has been sidelined and ignored and some serious issues pathologized as “hysteria” throughout history, it's good to know that women and transwomen scientists are at the forefront of important research in today's times.

I think I'm doing a really bad job of this review but don't let it prevent you from picking up this very informative and well written book. I'm very glad this exists and is so approachable in its content - talking in detailing about each organ - and is also being inclusive and talking about things like genital mutilation, gender affirming surgeries, unnecessary invasive surgeries on intersex kids and more. I'm very impressed with what I've learnt here and maybe I will also get to checkout some of the books the author has mentioned here which helped in her research.

Definitely more of a 4.5.

I didn't know Pussypedia was a website that exists but when I saw this book as one of the options of books available for request sent to me by the publisher, I couldn't resist at all. And I'm so glad I did because I breezed through this in just a couple of days.

Firstly, I've been reading quite a bit of literature regarding women's health, motherhood etc in general because I'm pregnant and in a weird mood, so this book was a logical choice to pick up. And considering that how much less concrete well researched information there is, particularly about issues like menstruation or women's pleasure or endometriosis etc, this book is an excellent one stop initial guide to many of the concerns that any person with a vagina and other related body parts can have. It's funny, feels like someone having a very friendly chat with you, is full of colorful graphic illustrations of said intimate body parts (some of which are in pretty good detail and I haven't ever seen before) and has many many resources listed where we can go further information, interviews with medical experts and recommendations of many books that have been trying to bring this information to light in the past few decades.

I thoroughly loved this book - definitely some topics more than others. I probably would have loved a bit more detail about pregnancy, but that's probably my feeling due to my current condition, but I definitely think atleast a couple of pages about Caesarian section would have been good information. I do really appreciate the authors for mentioning right at the beginning that this book is going to be inclusive, and mentioning specific transgender healthcare resources wherever applicable. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out some of the websites and books mentioned in here. And I have a feeling that this is a book I might keep around always on my bookshelf and pick up whenever I immediately need to look up something. Very helpful, especially in terms of getting started to know the information before we dive into more deeper research.

This book was nowhere on my radar but when I got an ALC from Libro.fm, I found the idea of it very interesting and because I've only been consuming audios recently, I got started with it almost immediately. And it turned out to be very good.

Considering how much of a taboo topic menstruation is ( my iPhone keyboard doesn't even show the word in autofill when I'm typing it out), I'm firstly glad we have books like this. When I first started menstruating as a teenager, I got no knowledge about it except that it happens and a small 30 mins health class at school. There was nothing about why it happens, the implications surrounding it, the pain and how to manage it or just about any other information. I'm just surprised but happy that I'm reading a book about it more than 20 years after experiencing it myself.

What I did like was the author giving her credentials in the beginning, mentioning that the book would be inclusive of genders based on whoever the topic is applicable to, and then proceeded to discuss many important topics - the historical discourse surrounding menstruation and how it came to be such an unmentionable topic, the impacts of patriarchy and our world being more male centric affecting the amount of time and resources dedicated to studying something like menstruation which happens to atleast half the world population, the various stigmas attached to it, and how much less information we have on the diverse ways in which people can get their period and how it affects their body and how circumstances affect it.

I don't think I got everything into my head already in this first read but I'm glad to have a general idea. But I definitely feel I will benefit from a more slow reread of it whenever I can in the future. And it'll surely be a more informative experience for younger kids who are just starting out and maybe knowing so much more than we did might help them manage their bodies better.

CW: sexual assault, communal riots, honor killing, burning, Islamophobia, religious extremism

Another definite 4.5 star read of the month.

I've actually never read any Thrity Umrigar book before because I know she's a popular literary fiction author and I wasn't just into the genre. But since the first time I read the premise of Honor sometime last year, I've really wanted to check it out. And when I got the audiobook from my library, I couldn't stop.

As it's been happening to me quite frequently these days, this was another one of my sleepless nights, so I just spent all night listening to the audio. It obviously helped that the narrator is Sneha Mathan who is my absolute top favorite and it's hard not to feel engrossed in a book when she is telling it. And the writing is equally captivating from the get go. The author is immensely talented at hooking the reader from the first page, not just with the shocking incidents and themes being explored in the plot, but also the compassion and empathy she exudes for her characters who are suffering so much. The pacing may feel a bit slow but the story actually takes place within a few days, and the feeling is only so because this book involves a lot of contemplation by the characters. The author also does a masterful job making the setting feel extremely real - I could feel the noise that you are bombarded with as soon as you land in an Indian airport like Mumbai, strolling through a huge marketplace like Colaba being stormed by people trying to sell their wares, cherishing the sunset near a beach, the disparity of life in rural villages.

We are told this story through the eyes of two women, who are almost on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Smitha is an Indian American who hasn't lived in India since she was a teenager, and has some bad memories from before she left which has colored her perception of the country and especially Mumbai. As she is unexpectedly given the job of following up on an honor killing case, she not only has to confront the purpose of her journalism - she finds it important to show the truth about injustices happening across the world but is also in a dilemma if it's just a way for her readers way back in America to feel better about themselves; but she also is conflicted about her feelings about India on the whole - a modern country whose metropolises rival any American city but the villages are still the epitome of caste and religious and gender discrimination. She is accompanied on this journey by Mohan, an IT guy who loves his country but is also confronted with the truth that there are pockets in his beloved India which don't feel like the country he loves. Their developing friendship, with hints of wariness in between felt very real and organic but the romance felt like it came too out of left field.

Meena on the other hand is a woman who has been burned and disfigured badly by her own brothers because she dared to get married to a Muslim man and have a child with him. Now her husband is dead from the burning, her mother in law blames her for losing her son, and she wants justice if only to prove to her daughter that she fought for her dead father. It's clear that she also blames herself for her beloved's death and doesn't really see much of a future for herself, but hopes that her daughter will get to live in a more egalitarian and secular India, just like how her Abdul imagined. It's very easy to feel pity for her because of her circumstances but she is so brave and compassionate and I only kept hoping she'll finally get some respite. Her story reminded me of the book The Newlyweds by Mansi Choksi (which I haven't finished reading) which tells the stories of four real life couples who also had to run away from home because of choosing inter caste and interfaith marriages and had to hide from their families.

In the end, I don't know how to feel about this book. It's brilliantly written, very engaging, rage inducing and thought provoking - I could especially feel a lot in common with Smitha because of being an immigrant in America myself and feeling conflicted about loving my homeland but seeing the deteriorating political reality over there and feeling helpless about it. Ofcourse this is not a book to enjoy - it's here to show us a mirror to the real world, where whatever progress we make, there are also many things going backwards. Do read it if you feel you can handle the subject matter. And if you enjoy the audiobook format, then Sneha's narration is a great way to experience this story.

Not a totally bad book and I did like some parts, especially about the history of motherhood and it's expectations, and the final chapters about how it has all changed for mothers in the times of the pandemic. I guess I just wasn't sure what I was expecting from this.

I'm usually not one to read award winning books, especially something like a Booker Prize because they mostly tend to be literary fiction and that's not a genre I'm frequently looking for. But when the news of this book winning the award came about and I realized that it's both South Asian and speculative fiction, I knew I had to give it a try. And it also felt like a big oversight on my part that I purport to support Asian/South Asian authors and books on my blog but I truly don't remember reading anything set in Sri Lanka except a couple of short stories last year. When I finally got the audiobook from my library yesterday, I just didn't wanna wait anymore and gobbled up the whole thing in just a few hours.

I truly don't have words to describe what kind of a book this is. It's totally political because it's set in the 80s with various political factions like the government and the JVP, as well as liberation movements like the LTTE - each committing horrific violence on the other side, and no one more so than the ruling party - but it's also supernatural with the main character being dead at the beginning and his soul (or ghost maybe) trying to figure out his afterlife (and in between); as well as a murder mystery because our ghost doesn't remember how he died.

The story might start with ghosts and afterlife but it is so rooted in its Sri Lankan setting that you can't help but feel like you are wandering those streets with our main character, watching that horrific violence unfold in front of your eyes, and wonder what even is the point of it all. At the same time, we also get some spectacular supernatural world building, with its inspirations from Hinduism and Buddhism, making it seem both familiar and new to me - so many different creatures with their own functions, many souls who haven't gotten over the violence of their deaths, and the souls deciding between doing something about the injustice or forgetting it all and moving on into the Light. It's all a mix of fascinating concepts to read about and the author's satirical writing style makes it all very engaging even when we can see that the situation is all bleak.

Our main character Maali is a gay man in a country in strife who won't agree to either call himself a queer person and at the same time won't agree that the situation in his homeland is hopeless. He is a photographer who has captured many horrific scenes, even at the behest of those committing the violence and using his pictures as propaganda, but he still believes that someday his photos will lead to a reckoning. It almost feels like his naïveté that such a thing is possible but when he tries hard to make his work known even from the other side of death, we are very much inclined to root for him. Through his endeavors, we get to meet the people in his life who have had significant impacts on him but whom he probably didn't appreciate enough when alive. We also meet the many souls with their own grievances along with him, as he traverses his new reality. And along with it all, we also kind of get a mystery, with Maali trying his best to reminisce his last moments and piece together the truth of his death and the ones responsible, which when revealed did come as a shock to me.

Overall, I can just say that I was left marveling at the author's genius both while reading and at the end. This is a book that packs a punch and takes a quite no holds barred approach to showcasing political violence, but is also funny and whimsical and sad and everything in between. The audiobook narrator Shivantha Wijesinha did a spectacular job with his voice and bringing this world to life and I'm just so glad I got to experience this book through his narration. I can't pinpoint who will exactly appreciate this book but if you are someone who love inventive speculative fiction/ magical realism with a very realistic political setting, then this will be a great choice for you.

I've absolutely adored the author's A Thousand Ships and Pandora's Jar, especially her audiobook narration, so there was no doubt I was gonna read this book. But even when I got the ebook, I waited till I got the audio because I knew I had to listen to it. And I'm glad I waited.

This book is also very much told in the author's signature style - while it may be Medusa's story, we get many many POVs of gods and demigods and immortals and mortals and more, along with the author's ever present sarcastic humor which masks her anger at some of the proceedings. It makes for very entertaining reading, especially because I was also simultaneously listening to the audiobook and she is as always a very engaging narrator.

I really sympathized with Medusa and loved her relationship with her sisters but would have loved to see more of her POV, so that I could understand her feelings better. The disdain the gods feel for anyone who is not them is just hard to fathom and I can't say I liked any of them. Perseus and Athene are especially two I just couldn't stand because they could see nothing beyond themselves most of the time. And the author is again successful at highlighting how whoever the fault may lie with, it's ultimately the women who suffer, and they have no recourse. It's anger inducing and while the sufferings and conclusions of these women don't change in these retellings, it's still nice to put some blame on the actual people responsible and not the ones who didn't have any choice in the matter.

I'm conclusion, I'll definitely recommend this book if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, but don't go in expecting only Medusa's story despite what it says on the cover. Audiobook will definitely make you appreciate it more because the author is a master at narration. And I'm already eager to see whose story the author will decide to tackle next.

As soon as I read the blurb that this is gonna be a Holmesian f/f mystery, I knew I was gonna read it. And this was a quick delight.

This is a story that's taking place in a far future on Jupiter, so the author drops a lot of information about this world and how humans came to be here from earth at various moments in the narrative, so it never felt info dumpy but we also only get little necessary information that moves the plot. The pacing was pretty quick and I really thought I was on the verge figuring it out all out when the final twist came completely out of left field, which was a fun surprise.

But the beauty of this book is definitely the two main characters. Mossa and Pliete are such a contrast to each other - Mossa being an investigator, definitely a more reserved workaholic, while Pliete is a bit more impulsive and livelier Classics scholar - but theirs is a very interesting dynamic. The initial hesitation and discomfort because they are meeting after many years but then the easy camaraderie and trust that gradually seeps is very well depicted and I loved their deepening intimacy as the story goes.

Overall, this was a very fun and entertaining murder mystery in a still developing sci-fi world, and some very sweet sapphic romance in the making. I finished it in one sitting and now I'm even more excited because this is gonna be a series. I can't wait to meet our couple again.

CW: mention of rape

Probably more of a 3.5.

I'm not someone who reads a lot of Beauty and the Beast retellings because it's not a story I grew up with. But this one had a lovely looking cover, so I requested the publisher for an arc and was excited to read it. And turns out it was enjoyable.

The prose was definitely the best part of this story. There were some very beautiful lines throughout and I highlighted my copy quite a bit. However, it also felt like this was a story that was very close to the original, maybe even assumed that you know the actual story and only parts of it are changed or retold to give it a new feel. There's an enchanted forest and castle, one faerie who grants wishes and that's it - it's the extent of world building here and as a huge reader of fantasy, that was a tad bit dissatisfactory for me. But the pacing itself was quick, and the way the past of Beauty is told in short bursts of flashbacks was done quite seamlessly.

This is a fairly short book, almost like a novella, which is probably why I felt that we didn't get enough time for the characters to be developed. Beauty is suffering because of the trauma in her past and wants an escape from that, so I liked that she gets the slow healing that she deserves through the time she spends with Beast. He on the other hand doesn't have a POV, and is a very limited conversationalist, so I felt like we only got to know Beast through Beauty's perspective which was maybe enough to show his kindness and compassionate nature, but we never truly get to know him in depth. I liked that Beauty's family was mostly supportive and there were only a couple of twists with the villains. But there really isn't too much to do for the supporting characters.

In the end, I liked reading this book. It was a short and quick read, and has a charming quality to it, but I think I was expecting more yearning or romance. This might be your cup of tea if you love the original Beauty and the Beast fairytale but haven't read too many retellings, and are ready for a shorter read.

CW: rape/ marital rape, domestic violence, bloodletting, pregnancy, stillbirth, abortion

This is my third back to back 4.5 star read and I'm just so glad that I'm reading again and loving the books.

This book was totally off my radar, which actually surprised me because I'm usually on top of my debut releases. It was only when my dear friend received an arc and then mentioned that she loved it that I realized that I may wanna give it a try too. And I'm so wowed by this audiobook.

This story is told in three POVs, all taking place across different timelines, centuries apart but I was really amazed at how well the author kept every single storyline engaging and compelling. We have an idea that the three women must be related but the author does a wonderful job revealing bits and pieces of information very slowly, so that we can figure out along with the characters how they are related. The magical aspect is also very present but subtle, with the characters being one with nature and being very attuned to insects and birds and animals - how these creatures provide solace and a feeling of safety is one of the beautifully written parts of this book. But what really is a prominent underlying thread of the story is also what made me extremely sad and angry - the characters may all be living across different time periods but the issues they face are too similar and it's so unfortunate that not much has changed despite women gaining many rights.

Kate in the present day is escaping an abusive husband and trying to figure out a way forward, which is complicated by her pregnancy. She finds solace in her deceased great aunt Violet's cottage and through finding out her story, gains the strength needed to move ahead in her life. Violet on the other hand is a young woman during WWII struggling to be more than a girl is allowed to be during her times, confronted with stunning truths about her mother's legacy and what that means for her future. Altha is a young healer in the 17th century who is accused of using witchcraft for murder and is scared of being executed, taking the time to pen down her real story. How these three amazing women find about their shared legacy and how this knowledge gives them the resilience to fight for what they want during adverse circumstances makes for a heart touching story.

Wow what an experience this was. With sublime narration by Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley and Nell Barlow, Weyward is a well paced, beautifully written debut - a compelling and exquisite tale of three women, their connection to nature and to each other, and how powerful female solidarity can be even when they aren't physically present with each other. This story is really unforgettable and I'm gonna keep thinking about this for a while. Highly recommend, but do checkout the content warnings.

I'm appalled at myself that I waited so long to read this sequel despite having an arc and absolutely adoring Daughter of the Moon Goddess. But what can I say, I fell into a bad slump around the time of the release of this book last year and I'm just trying to get back on track recently. I'm just glad I finally got around to it and it was everything I expected it to be and more.

The writing in this book is ofcourse stunning but that's not new. The author wowed me with her talent in her debut and I can say she has only improved. Every line is gorgeous, the descriptions are a feast for the imagination, and the way she manages to capture every single emotion with so much depth is just stunning. More than just reading, I can say that I felt this book. There's just so much pain and turmoil and sadness permeating the story this time, with some sweet moments in between, that I was completely swept away in those sad currents. And ofcourse having someone like Natalie Naudus narrate the audiobook helps immensely because she makes any book even better with her voice.

What I can say about the characters which I haven't already said in the first book's review. Xingyin, Liwei and Wenzhi are my favorite trio now and I just loved every charged moment between them. Xingyin goes through so much in this book and it was heartbreaking to see her having to make life altering decisions all the time for the purpose of saving her world, even though the world has never shown that compassion towards her.

Liwei has always been a sweetheart and even when things go bad, he is ever faithful in Xingyin's capabilities and their love. Wenzhi on the other hand has a lot to make up for after his betrayal but the change in his character is definitely one of the best parts of this duology and every interaction between him and Xingyin was fraught with deep emotion and conflict, which made for excellent reading.

We also get more development of a new villain, some unexpected heart wrenching troubles, and new characters who made the proceedings even better with their presence - but I don't wanna give out those details. All I can say is that all characters play important and well written roles in getting the story to its conclusion which left me a sobbing mess, but it's our trio who will leave a lasting impression on any reader. The yearning that Xingyin feels, the love and companionship that she desires, and the love she feels for both makes for a very emotional love triangle, leading to a finale which I absolutely did not see coming.

In the end, all I feel is that I haven't written a good review because this book deserves more. It's a stunning, heartbreaking but immensely satisfying conclusion to one of my all time favorite duologies, and if you are someone who loves either YA fantasies or cdramas and haven't checked these books yet, you are absolutely missing out. Also, if you like the audiobook format, you can never go wrong with picking up one narrated by the spectacular Natalie Naudus. Now that it's over, I can only eagerly wait to see what the author writes next.

Definitely a 4.5 and I'm excitedly rounding it up.

I've had a very interesting relationship with Roshani's books. I DNFd both her first two YA books because I just couldn't get through the writing. Then I discovered the Aru Shah quintet and that is definitely one of my favorite all time favorite series, which has given me a lot of joy. The Gilded Wolves trilogy on the other hand felt both enticing and frustrating at the same time, so I was ultimately not very satisfied with it. So I was skeptical going into this book but I had also read many good things about it across the blogosphere, and I wanted to experience it for myself. And I'm so glad I did.

I'm not particularly a fan of purple prose and tbh Roshani is kind of a master at it, which has probably been one of my issues with her books in the past. But maybe I was in a better mood this time or I was better prepared to handle it, because her ornate and flowery writing style works perfectly for this story. This book is about fairytales - real or imaginary - the magical world we wish to inhabit and escape our real life; it's about finding a love that borders that line between magical and maniacal and reveling in it; it's a story of stories, the author intricately weaving the nuggets of so many fairytale inspirations into her characters and their conversations. If I'm being flowery myself, it's coz I'm unsure how to describe this book except that it demands surrender to its words and magic, and I was a willing participant.

We never get the name of one of our POV characters, only referred to as the Bridegroom. He has this hunger for something unknowable, and desire to discover magic, so finds himself easily captivated by the mysterious Indigo, whose only condition is that he never pry into her personal affairs. Their marriage is like a bed of roses - petals and thorns and everything in between - sucking him deeper unwittingly into her past and secrets.

The other POV is in the past where we get to spend time with Azure, as she becomes friends with Indigo and how this deep friendship takes unimaginable turns. Their bond was absolutely marvelous to read about - in both its profound love and magic, as well as the toxicity which is not always visible. As we get to know Azure and Indigo from their childhood and adolescence more, the Bridegroom also delves into the past, trying to find the traces of the missing Azure. And we get the final revelation, it was both a stunning reveal as well as easily predictable, if only we were paying attention. Which itself is not easy to do in this book because it keeps luring us in with beautiful lines upon beautiful lines, waiting to be highlighted.

I listened to the audiobook of this one, just captivatingly narrated by Steve West and Sura Siu. I was also alternating a bit with the ebook coz I wanted to note down atleast some of the lovely prose. And I can only say at the end that I hope everyone will give this a try. If you love fairytales, if you love stories of love which go into unexpectedly dark places, if you love books with beautiful writing that will allure you and not let you go - then this is the perfect read for you.