Scan barcode
anchovysaurus's reviews
241 reviews
Goddess of Filth by V. Castro
dark
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare, Joshua Lewis
adventurous
3.5
I adore when fantasy authors release books centred solely on the lore of their worlds. I particularly liked the unreliable narrator aspect of the Clave framing its history in a certain way, with Luke, Magnus, and Jordan interjecting with different perspectives. Interestingly, some aspects of Clave history seemed allegorical, like the Clave supporting Downworlder hunts in the 1600s while providing no tangible reparations thereafter.
Nevertheless, this book inadvertently revealed some holes in the worldbuilding:
Nevertheless, this book inadvertently revealed some holes in the worldbuilding:
- Shadowhunters are meant to be secular, but the language often gravitates toward the Abrahamic religions, like "demons" and "denizens of Heaven". It's even stated that Raziel named them the Nephilim after the Book of Genesis.
- After a thousand years of fighting demons, they still don't know why demons come to Earth.
- It may have just been the digital version I was reading, but Simon’s lighthearted homoerotic fanfic of Jonathan Shadowhunter and David appears directly after the section describing the Circle and all the lives lost because of prejudice, which felt distasteful and tone-deaf.
The Dismembered by Jonathan Janz
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
While The Dismembered definitely had some worthwhile Frankenstein-esque body horror, I couldn't get over Arthur, the main character.
Arthur's a writer who needs you to know that he gyms and he's stronger than the average man. After the woman he's attracted to deceives everyone, he immediately turns his affections to her older sister. In fact, he calls this sister his "ideal partner" after knowing her for about 2 days.
To inflict the final wound,the Count [the main antagonist] is one of those villains who makes valid points about rich people and social class, but the main characters escape the horrific situation and merely maintain the status quo .
Arthur's a writer who needs you to know that he gyms and he's stronger than the average man. After the woman he's attracted to deceives everyone, he immediately turns his affections to her older sister. In fact, he calls this sister his "ideal partner" after knowing her for about 2 days.
To inflict the final wound,
Mosaic by Catherine McCarthy
dark
tense
4.0
Mosaic is a cosmic horror novella that incorporates one of Lovecraft's menacing entities. Lovecraft's name is also mentioned, and I'm not sure if this is meant to imply that the cosmic entities are real and that Lovecraft was aware of this. For some reason, this felt cheap, though I suspect its inclusion was meant to be a clever homage.
Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
2.5
Foul Days really had a lot going for it.
The worldbuilding? On point.
The supporting characters? Interesting.
The folklore? Exceptional.
It even delves into various aspects of xenophobia, like looking down on certain groups of people but still exploiting their cheap labour and advocating for marginalised groups instead of advocating with said groups.
The only aspect dragging this story down like cement shoes is Kosara, the main character. Kosara's one of the most incompetent protagonists I've ever encountered and, frankly, it's mindblowing how she's lived this long in her city.
Here's a list of events that made me question Kosara's competence:
•Kept underestimating the detective even though he saved her from an upir
The worldbuilding? On point.
The supporting characters? Interesting.
The folklore? Exceptional.
It even delves into various aspects of xenophobia, like looking down on certain groups of people but still exploiting their cheap labour and advocating for marginalised groups instead of advocating with said groups.
The only aspect dragging this story down like cement shoes is Kosara, the main character. Kosara's one of the most incompetent protagonists I've ever encountered and, frankly, it's mindblowing how she's lived this long in her city.
Here's a list of events that made me question Kosara's competence:
•
• Doesn't detect that the detective "reeks" of magic
• Doesn't deduce that one of her acquaintances works for the Tsar of Monsters
• Thought a veteran sailor was too "stupid" to transport her safely onboard his ship
• Drugged herself with a truth serum instead of her intended target
• Tried to intimidate the detective with a knife but only succeeded in cutting her finger
In future, I might still try some of the author's other works but only if Kosara isn't the main character.
• Drugged herself with a truth serum instead of her intended target
• Tried to intimidate the detective with a knife but only succeeded in cutting her finger
In future, I might still try some of the author's other works but only if Kosara isn't the main character.
Mouth by Joshua Hull
hopeful
3.0
It's wonderful that we get some chapters from Mouth's POV ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
However, I'm not sure the author knew how to construct Abigail's character arc. She's mostly annoying but the reader is clearly meant to root for her, especially in the last third of the book. For most of the book, I wondered if eliminating her character and simply having the book focus on Rusty and Mouth's relationship would have made a better story.
However, I'm not sure the author knew how to construct Abigail's character arc. She's mostly annoying but the reader is clearly meant to root for her, especially in the last third of the book. For most of the book, I wondered if eliminating her character and simply having the book focus on Rusty and Mouth's relationship would have made a better story.
In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf
mysterious
3.0
While this book is meant to be the author's first adult novel, it very much reads as YA. This is most evident in the protagonist's interactions with her love interest and her denial when confronted with difficult emotions.