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bkwrm1317's reviews
216 reviews
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A brilliant start to a new fantasy series featuring Indigenous peoples and dragons. Anequs is a brilliant protagonist, and Sander, Theod, and Marta are her lovely classmates and friends.
Themes of belonging, found family, class inequity, racism, and much more are touched on and I can’t wait to see what happens with Anequs, Kasaqua, her dragon, and the rest of the gang. Grateful that they’re making some allies among the politically powerful, regardless of the fact Anequs stands up for what she believes in, regardless of who is watching/present.
Themes of belonging, found family, class inequity, racism, and much more are touched on and I can’t wait to see what happens with Anequs, Kasaqua, her dragon, and the rest of the gang. Grateful that they’re making some allies among the politically powerful, regardless of the fact Anequs stands up for what she believes in, regardless of who is watching/present.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Sweet little light hearted mystery. I’ll admit some twists and turns in there I didn’t actually expect at all towards the end. Looking forward to more with Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron in future installments.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Suicide
Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I rarely enjoy the second book in a trilogy more than the first. That is indeed the case here.
Love Jade and Letha’s return, as well as some other familiar faces, and the introduction of new faces including our new boogeyman (all with a surprise twist at the end because duh it’s Graham Jones after all) that closes the loop on a subplot from My Heart Is A Chainsaw.
And the last couple lines whewww! Spoiler:” …along with what no photograph could have captured: Jade shrugging free of the two state officials holding her by the upper arms, shaking free and stepping ahead, reaching her right arm back to her waistband. When she thrusts her right arm up in victory, what she’s holding there for all the gods to see, for the whole world to know, for you to never have in your sacred collection, it’s a hook. From the killer she killed. Because she’s Jade fucking Daniels. And a thousand men like you can’t even reach up to touch her combat boots.”
Gods I love a good slasher. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the close of this series and returning to Jade, Letha and the gang, while revisiting films in anticipation of how we might close out this saga.
Love Jade and Letha’s return, as well as some other familiar faces, and the introduction of new faces including our new boogeyman (all with a surprise twist at the end because duh it’s Graham Jones after all) that closes the loop on a subplot from My Heart Is A Chainsaw.
And the last couple lines whewww! Spoiler:
Gods I love a good slasher. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the close of this series and returning to Jade, Letha and the gang, while revisiting films in anticipation of how we might close out this saga.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Blood
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gyasi’s Transcendant Kingdom is a tale of family, heartbreak, grief, and finding answers in science to the illness of addiction.
Our protagonist (Gifty), a Ghanaian-American scientist doing post-doc work at Stanford looks back on her childhood in Alabama with her brother Nana and her mother. Her father (nicknamed the Chin Chin Man), leaves them to go back to Ghana when Gifty is young.
Gifty’s brother Nana is a sports star growing up, until he hurts his ankle playing HS basketball and goes from Huntsville, Alabama’s high school ball star town hero to an OxyContin addict when it’s prescribed to him during his recovery. His addiction leads to his eventual overdose and death, and pushes Gifty from an evangelical youth to a scientist studying the reward pathway in the brain to find answers she didn’t get from her brother, and that her mom was unable to give through her own grief and depression.
Hard but hopeful, this is a well written exploration of forgiving ourselves and our loved ones, the ravages of addiction and the opioid epidemic of the US, and the African immigrant experience, as well as reflections on what is bigger than/beyond us, and the comfort religion can provide in the wake of grief and loss.
Our protagonist (Gifty), a Ghanaian-American scientist doing post-doc work at Stanford looks back on her childhood in Alabama with her brother Nana and her mother. Her father (nicknamed the Chin Chin Man), leaves them to go back to Ghana when Gifty is young.
Gifty’s brother Nana is a sports star growing up, until he hurts his ankle playing HS basketball and goes from Huntsville, Alabama’s high school ball star town hero to an OxyContin addict when it’s prescribed to him during his recovery. His addiction leads to his eventual overdose and death, and pushes Gifty from an evangelical youth to a scientist studying the reward pathway in the brain to find answers she didn’t get from her brother, and that her mom was unable to give through her own grief and depression.
Hard but hopeful, this is a well written exploration of forgiving ourselves and our loved ones, the ravages of addiction and the opioid epidemic of the US, and the African immigrant experience, as well as reflections on what is bigger than/beyond us, and the comfort religion can provide in the wake of grief and loss.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Another great read by LaValle.
Jazz Age NYC (Harlem, Queens, and Brooklyn esp) Black man in his early 20s just trying to get by without breaking his body gets roped into a job that changes everything, and everyone, around him. Sorcery, things that wait in the deep, and corrupt white cops will keep readers on edge in this cosmic horror novella.
Jazz Age NYC (Harlem, Queens, and Brooklyn esp) Black man in his early 20s just trying to get by without breaking his body gets roped into a job that changes everything, and everyone, around him. Sorcery, things that wait in the deep, and corrupt white cops will keep readers on edge in this cosmic horror novella.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death and Gore
Another World by Maximillian Matthews
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Matthews’ debut work is equal parts moving, powerful, and compelling.
A series of essays reflecting on what it means to be queer, Black, and gender non-conforming in the US and in this world, I highly recommend to anyone and everyone. Everyone should read this hopeful collection of essays by a powerful emerging abolitionist voice.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
First and foremost, thanks to Viking Penguin (Raven Ross) and NetGalley for pre-approving me for a copy of The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years by Shubnum Khan in exchange for an honest review. I love reviewing debut works by new (to me) authors in exchange for a review and Djinn was no different.
At it's core, Djinn is a story of a young woman transitioning to adulthood who moves with her father to a large estate on the coast in South Africa with a colorful group of fellow tenants. With elements of horror (gothic, cosmic), as well as parallel stories playing out decades apart connected through the estate, the reader is drawn in by Khan's style and way with prose. Khan doesn't reveal all secrets too quickly, and gives the reader just enough suspense for the reveals to have some punch.
Major themes of this novel include loss, love, grief, and what it means to ultimately let go. There are also elements of the supernatural (our protagonist has a dead sister who haunts her pretty maliciously), tradgedy in true love, jealousy, and much more.
Khan is a South African novelist with roots in India, so there are also themes of cultural belonging, language, food, and more that unite the tenants of the estate where our cast of characters live, which was an enjoyable ride as a reader. I'll be on the lookout for more from Khan in the future, and in the meantime, will be recommending The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years to folks in preparation for its debut in January 2024.
At it's core, Djinn is a story of a young woman transitioning to adulthood who moves with her father to a large estate on the coast in South Africa with a colorful group of fellow tenants. With elements of horror (gothic, cosmic), as well as parallel stories playing out decades apart connected through the estate, the reader is drawn in by Khan's style and way with prose. Khan doesn't reveal all secrets too quickly, and gives the reader just enough suspense for the reveals to have some punch.
Major themes of this novel include loss, love, grief, and what it means to ultimately let go. There are also elements of the supernatural (our protagonist has a dead sister who haunts her pretty maliciously), tradgedy in true love, jealousy, and much more.
Khan is a South African novelist with roots in India, so there are also themes of cultural belonging, language, food, and more that unite the tenants of the estate where our cast of characters live, which was an enjoyable ride as a reader. I'll be on the lookout for more from Khan in the future, and in the meantime, will be recommending The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years to folks in preparation for its debut in January 2024.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting
Minor: Death and Death of parent
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Medium-slow pace. Enjoyed the nature horror elements a lot but didn’t feel super invested in the characters/didn’t quite do it for me.
Currently planning to try out books 2 and 3, but not thinking this is a series finisher for me, unfortunately.
Currently planning to try out books 2 and 3, but not thinking this is a series finisher for me, unfortunately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Classism
Minor: Vomit, Medical content, and War
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Came for the cephalopods, and stayed to find out what happened in the end. I guess the execution just wasn’t for me on this one, but the concept of considering how we would communicate with another sentient species capable of communication through symbols and signs on our very own planet is an interesting one.
I think for my own taste, pacing felt slow, disjointed, and like there wasn’t resolution of all the plot lines in the story in ways I found satisfying as a reader. Concept is what brings up the score in my mind.
I think for my own taste, pacing felt slow, disjointed, and like there wasn’t resolution of all the plot lines in the story in ways I found satisfying as a reader. Concept is what brings up the score in my mind.
Parasite by Mira Grant
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A good little horrific thriller that’ll leave readers wondering what makes us human, anyway, that differentiates us from other beings. And what happens when capital is the force behind a medical intervention meant to prevent/end all illness.