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reading update 7/30/2022
Currently Reading:
About a third of the way through so far and I'm very much enjoying it. I do struggle with the substance abuse subplot a bit, as I find that kind of content personally upsetting, but I like the book enough to try to get through it, and so far I think it's handled pretty well. I love ambitious female protags and political fantasies and lush worldbuilding, and so far we've got it in spades.
Slowly making my way through this one...I am very close to giving up and buying a copy so I don't have to keep returning it to the library. I've only held off because I have the vague idea I'll buy a boxset once book 4 drops...
Via Dracula Daily.
Library Haul:
Reviews:
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
5/5 for all three. First two volumes are rereads, Vol 3 just came out. Listen, I love Scum Villain. I eat and breath Scum Villain. Few books have made me this insane. And Volume 3 continues to bring the pain and the laughs in equal measure. One of the great things about the English release is that the novel's been divided into three parts, each of which is a chunk of the actual plot, but also contains its own arc and themes. Vol 3, which caps off the main story, is about the futile tragedy of the past--and about overcoming those same mistakes so that you can build a better future. This portion of the fan translation was not easy to understand, and the translators at Seven Seas do an amazing job of making it clear and poignant here. Interior art is also gorgeous.
(If you haven't read Scum Villain, I highly recommend it! Volume 4, out in Nov, is going to contain the extras, which are postcanon bonus chapters + some short stories about side characters, so you can read the entire main story now that Vol 3 is out)
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
4/5. This is a strange one, because on the surface it's the kind of romance I really like, but the romance is so thinly drawn that it's hard to get invested in it. However, most of the actual story is about Keturah and her loved ones, and her place in the world, and those relationships are compelling and interesting.
The Way Spring Arrives: And Other Stories edited by Yu Chen and Rebecca Kanyu Wang
5/5. Really enjoyed this collection, even though I don't really understand all of it. You can see the skill on display, even if the meaning isn't always clear if you don't have a strong knowledge of Chinese culture or Chinese SF/F (which I do not).
Twists of Fate by Joana Starnes
3/5. Ehhh. Another P&P variation with a decent set up that doesn't hold onto its conflict for long enough. If the characters just decide to be reasonable and get together early on, it's very healthy, very progressive...and super boring to read. There are books with low stakes healthy romances that I like! This...is not one of them.
- The Councillor by E. J. Beaton
About a third of the way through so far and I'm very much enjoying it. I do struggle with the substance abuse subplot a bit, as I find that kind of content personally upsetting, but I like the book enough to try to get through it, and so far I think it's handled pretty well. I love ambitious female protags and political fantasies and lush worldbuilding, and so far we've got it in spades.
- The Tyrant Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
Slowly making my way through this one...I am very close to giving up and buying a copy so I don't have to keep returning it to the library. I've only held off because I have the vague idea I'll buy a boxset once book 4 drops...
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
Via Dracula Daily.
Library Haul:
- Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Reviews:
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
5/5 for all three. First two volumes are rereads, Vol 3 just came out. Listen, I love Scum Villain. I eat and breath Scum Villain. Few books have made me this insane. And Volume 3 continues to bring the pain and the laughs in equal measure. One of the great things about the English release is that the novel's been divided into three parts, each of which is a chunk of the actual plot, but also contains its own arc and themes. Vol 3, which caps off the main story, is about the futile tragedy of the past--and about overcoming those same mistakes so that you can build a better future. This portion of the fan translation was not easy to understand, and the translators at Seven Seas do an amazing job of making it clear and poignant here. Interior art is also gorgeous.
(If you haven't read Scum Villain, I highly recommend it! Volume 4, out in Nov, is going to contain the extras, which are postcanon bonus chapters + some short stories about side characters, so you can read the entire main story now that Vol 3 is out)
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
4/5. This is a strange one, because on the surface it's the kind of romance I really like, but the romance is so thinly drawn that it's hard to get invested in it. However, most of the actual story is about Keturah and her loved ones, and her place in the world, and those relationships are compelling and interesting.
The Way Spring Arrives: And Other Stories edited by Yu Chen and Rebecca Kanyu Wang
5/5. Really enjoyed this collection, even though I don't really understand all of it. You can see the skill on display, even if the meaning isn't always clear if you don't have a strong knowledge of Chinese culture or Chinese SF/F (which I do not).
Twists of Fate by Joana Starnes
3/5. Ehhh. Another P&P variation with a decent set up that doesn't hold onto its conflict for long enough. If the characters just decide to be reasonable and get together early on, it's very healthy, very progressive...and super boring to read. There are books with low stakes healthy romances that I like! This...is not one of them.