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voxvenati's reviews
172 reviews
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m not sure what to say about this except I know these books are dense, but they make me absolutely feral.
Things definitely started to get weird in this one, but everything I loved about the first two books was still present here: complex familial dynamics(minus the ongoing incest subplot/s - still not a fan of those) , commentary on religion, so much emotional pain, and more. Quotes:
Jessica: I wish you to see my fear.
Ghanima: Now I know you love me.
“It’s beautiful, but it’s not art. Humans create art by their own violence, by their own volition.”
It was at a slightly slower pace, and that dipped my attention at times, but it was still very worth it.
Things definitely started to get weird in this one, but everything I loved about the first two books was still present here: complex familial dynamics
Ghanima: Now I know you love me.
It was at a slightly slower pace, and that dipped my attention at times, but it was still very worth it.
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
Two things detracted and couldn’t allow me to give this a full 5 star though: first, some of the actual exploring was a little boring. We are in a cave nearly the whole time, so buckle in and get used to it. Second, and a larger issue (haha), were the Tunnelers.I am so sick of giant worms. Everything uses giant worms as danger. Stop. Please. Dune did it once and we could move on after that. The entire scene where Gyre killed one was so silly I had to pause and laugh. Could have done without that.
I don’t know how to concisely convey how good this book was. Suffice to say, if you like scifi, psychological, and isolationist horror, Annihilation’s unsettling dread, and/or two toxic women with crippling obsessions trapped with only the other as company, you have got to give The Luminous Dead a shot.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
While this isn’t perfect by any means, it hits so many notes that are missing from most modern horror: real danger, psychological fuckery, gaslighting the reader, escalation, and phenomenal pacing. I loved it.
I’d like to start at the comparison to Annihilation. While I do think that’s apt, it’s a different sort of building dread, less built on answers.Things were actually very wrong in Annihilation, and we wanted to know what and why. In The Luminous Dead, it’s a lot of back and forth as to whether there is or is not something else actually going wrong or if it’s all in Gyre’s head.
I’d also like to say, I appreciate our two toxic queens at front and center. We really had the Gaslight and Girlboss elements present here in full force, and you love to see it.I love that there was a sorta toxic romance? In my scifi horror?? Thank you, Caitlin.
The escalation of danger and tension was superb. The pacing was so good I pushed through the later ~70% in one day because it was impossible to stop. I also quite liked the prose. A few good quotes:
I’d like to start at the comparison to Annihilation. While I do think that’s apt, it’s a different sort of building dread, less built on answers.
I’d also like to say, I appreciate our two toxic queens at front and center. We really had the Gaslight and Girlboss elements present here in full force, and you love to see it.
The escalation of danger and tension was superb. The pacing was so good I pushed through the later ~70% in one day because it was impossible to stop. I also quite liked the prose. A few good quotes:
Who would trust her to run a business, when they knew how many lives, how many resources, she’d wasted not for profit but for grief?
The card rested like a leash in Gyre’s hand, a leash that wrapped around her horrible, beautiful monster’s throat.
Two things detracted and couldn’t allow me to give this a full 5 star though: first, some of the actual exploring was a little boring. We are in a cave nearly the whole time, so buckle in and get used to it. Second, and a larger issue (haha), were the Tunnelers.
I don’t know how to concisely convey how good this book was. Suffice to say, if you like scifi, psychological, and isolationist horror, Annihilation’s unsettling dread, and/or two toxic women with crippling obsessions trapped with only the other as company, you have got to give The Luminous Dead a shot.
Something's Not Right: Fifth Anniversary Edition by yves., yves.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This was a surprising little collection of delightful, fantastical short stories.
I went in expecting these to be darker overall than they ended up being. Some had dark elements, but as a whole, the collection is more fun than anything else. I found myself smiling more often than not. I also appreciated the scattered religious themes. Always a plus.
My favorite thing was that several stories were openly connected to one another. I crave that in most short story collections, and this is one of the only ones I have read where that hope was actually met. When I realized it was happening, it had me kicking my feet!
The character dynamics were just so cute! Especially in the later stories, I just ate them up.
My top favorites were: “blood orange tea.”, “monsters and The Guy.”, and “soliloquy.”
This collection is absolutely worth it for anyone who’s interested in character focused short stories with fantasy elements. They’re short, sweet, and so loaded with interesting ideas. I feel like I need a physical copy now just to go back and mark it all up.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to yves. and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest review!
I went in expecting these to be darker overall than they ended up being. Some had dark elements, but as a whole, the collection is more fun than anything else. I found myself smiling more often than not. I also appreciated the scattered religious themes. Always a plus.
My favorite thing was that several stories were openly connected to one another. I crave that in most short story collections, and this is one of the only ones I have read where that hope was actually met. When I realized it was happening, it had me kicking my feet!
The character dynamics were just so cute! Especially in the later stories, I just ate them up.
My top favorites were: “blood orange tea.”, “monsters and The Guy.”, and “soliloquy.”
This collection is absolutely worth it for anyone who’s interested in character focused short stories with fantasy elements. They’re short, sweet, and so loaded with interesting ideas. I feel like I need a physical copy now just to go back and mark it all up.
All opinions are my own. Thank you to yves. and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest review!
A Game of Hearts and Heists by Ruby Roe
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This was a fun, steamy romp around a magical land torn in two.
I liked the dynamic between the two main characters. They both had pretty substantial lives outside one another that came into play within the story. The scenes with them were steamy and sometimes cute. I also liked a lot of the other characters. They were fun, and I think it did a good job setting up the couple for the next book.
There were a few detractors for me. To start, the setting was wildly confusing. On the one hand, there’s motorcycles, crop tops, sleeping bags, and katanas. On the other, we’ve got semi-sentient palaces and mansions imbued with magic, legacy magicians, and assassins guilds. It didn’t feel like it was quite a contemporary nor firmly a fantasy setting. The world building was also pretty light and didn’t help explain it.
Some of the prose felt juvenile, a little YA maybe. This is true for some of the dialogue as well. This came across in some of the action sequences, and they can be kind of silly as a result.
The last thing that took this down some stars was the pacing. It really felt like it was dragging until ~70% mark. Sure, you get a lot of steamy scenes leading up to then, but it was kind of disappointing how little time was actually spent in the Borderlands.
If you’re looking for some sapphic fantasy-lite action, it’s not bad. There’s just not a huge amount of world building to support the plot, so don’t expect it.
I liked the dynamic between the two main characters. They both had pretty substantial lives outside one another that came into play within the story. The scenes with them were steamy and sometimes cute. I also liked a lot of the other characters. They were fun, and I think it did a good job setting up the couple for the next book.
There were a few detractors for me. To start, the setting was wildly confusing. On the one hand, there’s motorcycles, crop tops, sleeping bags, and katanas. On the other, we’ve got semi-sentient palaces and mansions imbued with magic, legacy magicians, and assassins guilds. It didn’t feel like it was quite a contemporary nor firmly a fantasy setting. The world building was also pretty light and didn’t help explain it.
Some of the prose felt juvenile, a little YA maybe. This is true for some of the dialogue as well. This came across in some of the action sequences, and they can be kind of silly as a result.
The last thing that took this down some stars was the pacing. It really felt like it was dragging until ~70% mark. Sure, you get a lot of steamy scenes leading up to then, but it was kind of disappointing how little time was actually spent in the Borderlands.
If you’re looking for some sapphic fantasy-lite action, it’s not bad. There’s just not a huge amount of world building to support the plot, so don’t expect it.
A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain by Adrianne Harun
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is a little hard to rate, but the prose was poetic and got me through almost on vibes alone. Atmospheric is a good term to describe this book.
I really enjoyed all the religious themes.I liked seeing the devil in his - and her - many forms, both within the tales and within the larger narrative.
The structure of the book starts off fairly straightforward, but morphs into something like a series of short stories linked by an overarching narrative. They’re all related, of course, but it’s jarring sometimes being told a bit of folklore or a poem in between “normal” chapters. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but I did not go in expecting this.
On a similar note, I did not expect most of the main characters to be teens. I’m not a fan of that in my adult fiction, as a general rule, and this was no exception. They weren’t as egregious as some teen characters, but there was the requisite pining over crushes, parent troubles, and unfinished homework — things I didn’t think were all necessary for the plot.
There was a stronger element of magical realism than horror as well. There were definitely some interesting things done with evil and folklore, real-life tragedy and danger, but I don’t know that that makes this horror. Maybe horror-lite, if I was being generous. Also be aware that the pace is slow, the characters are more important than the plot, and not everything is going to be handed to you.
If you go in expecting all of the above, and the premise speaks to you, I think it’s worth the read. There were some lines that made me laugh, some good quotes, and some really interesting concepts here.
I really enjoyed all the religious themes.
The structure of the book starts off fairly straightforward, but morphs into something like a series of short stories linked by an overarching narrative. They’re all related, of course, but it’s jarring sometimes being told a bit of folklore or a poem in between “normal” chapters. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but I did not go in expecting this.
On a similar note, I did not expect most of the main characters to be teens. I’m not a fan of that in my adult fiction, as a general rule, and this was no exception. They weren’t as egregious as some teen characters, but there was the requisite pining over crushes, parent troubles, and unfinished homework — things I didn’t think were all necessary for the plot.
There was a stronger element of magical realism than horror as well. There were definitely some interesting things done with evil and folklore, real-life tragedy and danger, but I don’t know that that makes this horror. Maybe horror-lite, if I was being generous. Also be aware that the pace is slow, the characters are more important than the plot, and not everything is going to be handed to you.
If you go in expecting all of the above, and the premise speaks to you, I think it’s worth the read. There were some lines that made me laugh, some good quotes, and some really interesting concepts here.
The Woodwitch (Valancourt 20th Century Classics) by Stephen Gregory
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
It was fine, but not what I hoped for.
There’s a tense uneasiness throughout the book that does come through. I feel as damp and humid and gross as Pinkney. There were also stretches of prose that were pretty, about the nature.
I just really wasn’t huge on the “disturbing” elements. It was largely gross in a childish way, and there was such an emphasis on excrement, penises, and decay that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
Pinkney is a mysoginistic, pedophilic pos, and you’re in his head the whole book. The narrator does not approve of his behavior, but it was pretty exhausting to be in that headspace for 200 pages.
While I didn’t love most of the book, the last ~10% of the book kind of hit the notes I was looking for. So, if you can stand a nasty, pathetic little man of a main character and a theme around erectile disfunction, the ending of this book was fair. Worth all 200 pages though? Maybe not.
There’s a tense uneasiness throughout the book that does come through. I feel as damp and humid and gross as Pinkney. There were also stretches of prose that were pretty, about the nature.
I just really wasn’t huge on the “disturbing” elements. It was largely gross in a childish way, and there was such an emphasis on excrement, penises, and decay that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
Pinkney is a mysoginistic, pedophilic pos, and you’re in his head the whole book. The narrator does not approve of his behavior, but it was pretty exhausting to be in that headspace for 200 pages.
While I didn’t love most of the book, the last ~10% of the book kind of hit the notes I was looking for. So, if you can stand a nasty, pathetic little man of a main character and a theme around erectile disfunction, the ending of this book was fair. Worth all 200 pages though? Maybe not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Excrement
Moderate: Ableism, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
This had everything going for it: cult stuff, isolated community, estrangement from family, and a dash of classic horror nods. However, it was ultimately a letdown.
Of the things I liked, I don’t know that a single one of them was done with real skill. There was perhaps 10% of the book that felt like it delivered on the promise, and that was around the ~80% mark.
The major problem for me was that I just did not like Vesper as the narrator, and the audiobook narrator did not help matters. I did not care about her or her problems at any point. It was a whiney mess. And then beyond all that, it was a pretty boring book. Related but spoilery stuff:
I didn’t appreciate how Constance was kind of slandered in the text. There were so many signs that Constance wanted her daughter to live, cared about her in the way she could, but Vesper was either too stupid to pick up on them, or else the author didn’t know what they were doing. Constance tries to get Vesper away from the farm by any means necessary, didn’t even want to have her, but all Vesper thinks is “boo hoo she hates me” because she was too stubborn to do her Satanist homework. Smh.
Every time something interesting was teased, we were thrown back into the hum-drum of Vesper’s boring ass life. None of the interesting bits ever amounted to anything. None of this was even scary. I think the most extreme emotion I felt while reading/listening to this was dread - I dreaded hearing about every stupid choice this dumb girl made.
I don’t think this is worthwhile for people who want to read about cults. This is much more of a family drama with the cult as a backdrop. I would not consider this horror. It’s closer to a dark fantasy lit fic. Consider these things before picking it up.
Of the things I liked, I don’t know that a single one of them was done with real skill. There was perhaps 10% of the book that felt like it delivered on the promise, and that was around the ~80% mark.
The major problem for me was that I just did not like Vesper as the narrator, and the audiobook narrator did not help matters. I did not care about her or her problems at any point. It was a whiney mess. And then beyond all that, it was a pretty boring book. Related but spoilery stuff:
Every time something interesting was teased, we were thrown back into the hum-drum of Vesper’s boring ass life. None of the interesting bits ever amounted to anything. None of this was even scary. I think the most extreme emotion I felt while reading/listening to this was dread - I dreaded hearing about every stupid choice this dumb girl made.
I don’t think this is worthwhile for people who want to read about cults. This is much more of a family drama with the cult as a backdrop. I would not consider this horror. It’s closer to a dark fantasy lit fic. Consider these things before picking it up.
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Five star fantasy needs to hit certain notes for me: Does it feel like a fairytale? Does the world have a consistent internal logic? Do I love the characters? Silver in the Wood gets a perfect yes, yes, and yes.
The fairytale aspect of this work is only emphasized by its concise page count. Normally, I find issue with shorter works feeling incomplete, but not here. The narrative is fully contained and not overworked.
I do love Tobias. Who wouldn’t love a man who so lovingly keeps cats? I also loved Silverand his mother .
In general, I’m rather taken with Tesh’s prose. This is true across both books I’ve read by her. It’s a simple, lyrical sort of prose that you only notice when you’re meant to - a funny bit of dialogue or a sweet little description. A sample of it below in spoilers, though it’s not much of a spoiler. Just to be safe.
It was Pearl, looking healthy and pleased with herself, tabby coat dappled in the moonlight…
There was a pinkish quality to the dimness which meant that dawn would come soon.
This was a short and sweet novella you could easily consume in an afternoon. It was funny, it made me cry, and it was absolutely worth it for fans of works like Uprooted.
The fairytale aspect of this work is only emphasized by its concise page count. Normally, I find issue with shorter works feeling incomplete, but not here. The narrative is fully contained and not overworked.
I do love Tobias. Who wouldn’t love a man who so lovingly keeps cats? I also loved Silver
In general, I’m rather taken with Tesh’s prose. This is true across both books I’ve read by her. It’s a simple, lyrical sort of prose that you only notice when you’re meant to - a funny bit of dialogue or a sweet little description. A sample of it below in spoilers, though it’s not much of a spoiler. Just to be safe.
There was a pinkish quality to the dimness which meant that dawn would come soon.
This was a short and sweet novella you could easily consume in an afternoon. It was funny, it made me cry, and it was absolutely worth it for fans of works like Uprooted.
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
When I started this book, I thought it was a strong 3 star. I have never been so pleased to be wrong.
At the start, I hated Kyr. Borderline stopped reading because I found her to be so awful. I hated the gender essentialism, internalized and otherwise. I hated the bleak world. But it fascinated me, even so, and I read on.
Every character I thought I hated had such character growth. By the end, I honestly loved every single major character. These were some of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop.
The single thing I’m going to say I really did not care for was the characterization of Avi as a redhead. He is unlikable, gay, promiscuous, unattractive. These are some stereotypes that get applied to redheads regularly (though some not as often to men). Didn’t love the stereotype, but I do love Avi. So.
I am such a sucker for aliens and sentient ai/whatever was going on with the Wisdom. LOVED the character growth it? They? Got at the end. “I am a pleasure yacht.” !!!
And Yiso. I want to kiss them on their little crest!!! Every time they were hurt, I was physically upset. I love them so much.
This whole spoiler section is just me gushing, but the two of them deserve it.
It’s such a cliche to say I couldn’t put this down, but for the later 80% of the book, I was losing sleep, carving out breaks in my work day just to keep reading. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was sobbing by the end.
In one book, Emily Tesh has become an auto-read author for me. If you enjoy explorations of nationalism, fascism, cult tactics, found family, identity, and purpose, you have to give this book a shot. It won’t be for everyone (please check those trigger warnings), but this got into my brain and has lodged itself there. Excellent read.
At the start, I hated Kyr. Borderline stopped reading because I found her to be so awful. I hated the gender essentialism, internalized and otherwise. I hated the bleak world. But it fascinated me, even so, and I read on.
Every character I thought I hated had such character growth. By the end, I honestly loved every single major character. These were some of the best character arcs I have ever seen, full stop.
I am such a sucker for aliens and sentient ai/whatever was going on with the Wisdom. LOVED the character growth it? They? Got at the end. “I am a pleasure yacht.” !!!
And Yiso. I want to kiss them on their little crest!!! Every time they were hurt, I was physically upset. I love them so much.
This whole spoiler section is just me gushing, but the two of them deserve it.
It’s such a cliche to say I couldn’t put this down, but for the later 80% of the book, I was losing sleep, carving out breaks in my work day just to keep reading. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was sobbing by the end.
In one book, Emily Tesh has become an auto-read author for me. If you enjoy explorations of nationalism, fascism, cult tactics, found family, identity, and purpose, you have to give this book a shot. It won’t be for everyone (please check those trigger warnings), but this got into my brain and has lodged itself there. Excellent read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Police brutality
Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book was very readable, but I wouldn’t say that’s entirely a positive.
I can see potential in Nat Cassidy. There were moments where his writing shone. I kept reading, hoping it would pick up and do something interesting! However, it just became so very overdone, and the writing was simplistic at times, hence easy to read. Every single “creepy” thing might as well have been highlighted and underlined for how much we were beaten over the head with things. And there were no juicy twists or takes or deep lore.
Because of the above, it just wasn’t scary. I was not a fan of the ending. It turned into a little bit of a hate read toward the 60-75% mark. I really could have used more information about the Jewish references in the text. Those parts intrigued me. I think this could have been a vastly different book if we had gone into the deep lore behind what was going on. We just didn’t.
To note as well, there was a very strange treatment of ableism and mental illness/postpartum. Did not make me feel great. Including a warning for use of an ableist slur:
Cripple
Overall, I did have a good time buddy reading this. It was fine. It wasn’t horrible, and it was easy to read, but it wasn’t ground breaking. He or the publisher should not have compared him to the King of horror - that just made this more disappointing.
I can see potential in Nat Cassidy. There were moments where his writing shone. I kept reading, hoping it would pick up and do something interesting! However, it just became so very overdone, and the writing was simplistic at times, hence easy to read. Every single “creepy” thing might as well have been highlighted and underlined for how much we were beaten over the head with things. And there were no juicy twists or takes or deep lore.
Because of the above, it just wasn’t scary. I was not a fan of the ending. It turned into a little bit of a hate read toward the 60-75% mark. I really could have used more information about the Jewish references in the text. Those parts intrigued me. I think this could have been a vastly different book if we had gone into the deep lore behind what was going on. We just didn’t.
To note as well, there was a very strange treatment of ableism and mental illness/postpartum. Did not make me feel great. Including a warning for use of an ableist slur:
Overall, I did have a good time buddy reading this. It was fine. It wasn’t horrible, and it was easy to read, but it wasn’t ground breaking. He or the publisher should not have compared him to the King of horror - that just made this more disappointing.