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I'm in a slump, need a book that is a page turner...
Recommend smtng with a academia kinda situations possibly with a lot of yearning
Nothing RH tx.
https://redd.it/1xmo1lk
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Looking for Fantasy music with feminine vocal
Something similar to Samhain Night by Rowan Lewgalon. I really love this song but I dislike it is made by AI. I'm looking for something real.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjd53ZnPlww
https://redd.it/1xmlsyp
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Books like The Unicorn Hunters?
I've recently gotten back into reading, and really enjoyed this novel by Katherine Arden. I love that it combined real history/historical figures with fantasy/mythology. Anyone have recommendations for novels with similar concepts? Prefer something set in medieval Western Europe + bonus points if the MC is female. Romance is fine, but not looking for something with a lot of spice
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split personality concept. Further, the writing style was descriptive, whimsy, and just plain funny. That said, it felt like it took some time for the plot to really kick off and get me invested. For the first third of the book, it just felt like Neverfell was going from one home to another without much in the way of plot developments. This certainly changed as the book went on, though.
As much as I enjoyed the climax and how shockingly dark it was, >!Madame Appeline's death felt cheesy/Disney-esque!< and the entire confrontation was very "before I kill you, let me tell you all about my evil plan." Further, it felt very dangerous and overly risky for >!Neverfell and the Kleptomancer's entire endgame scheme to hinge on trusting Zouelle. As clever and well-connected as the Kleptomancer and the drudges are, they should have been able to do better to fully lock it down.!< On top of that, how had Neverfell never seen her reflection before? Even if Grandible got rid of mirrors, she's bound to see something in glass, water, metal, etc. It just felt difficult to believe.
Justification: Hardinge is entirely new to me | Other squares: Politics and Court Intrigue (HM), Vacation Spot, >!Murder Mystery (HM)!<, Feast Your Eyes (HM, I made ricotta with a little something extra to make it more book-accurate to the hallucinogenic cheeses)
Translated (HM) The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier -- 2.75/5
I started out pretty negative or lukewarm towards the book, though my feelings definitely grew more positive and raised my end rating by at least half a star.
The vignettes of the first section, while well-written and interesting, went on for far too long. There were so many characters to introduce before they even went into the story at hand, and while they were interesting enough and most of the characters seemed fairly fleshed out, it just dragged on and on with no end in sight. This was made more difficult by the writing style, which felt like some odd mix of first-person and third-person. I got used to it over the course of the book, but especially at the beginning it was very offputting. The second section, which went into the government reacting to the situation at hand, was a bit better. I liked the initial interviews of the duplicated "June" passengers as well as some of the discussion of religious and philosophical implications. However, for media like this, which focus on an impossible phenomenon as its core premise, less is more. The reason why The Leftovers is such a good TV show is that it never even attempts to explain why or how 2% of the world population vanished, instead deliberately choosing to "let the mystery be." While the continuous focus on the "how/why" let the author delve more into the more interesting implications of the "is this all a simulation" question, the way it was written felt much more like Le Tellier was just playing armchair philosopher, and the way he explained things felt like he assumed his readers to be at least mildly stupid. Further, there were several choices made that struck me as a bit odd (e.g. why >!everyone instantly agreed that it "had to mean" that they were in a simulation!<, using named politicians and news anchors EXCEPT for Trump, why the >!government for some absolutely absurd reason told the public they were probably in a simulation (???)!<).
I was tempted to call it quits and DNF, but the final section did a lot to redeem the first two. It went into the direct interactions between the duplicates, as well as more time actually delving more deeply into how society would react to all of this. I don't think this fully justified how much of a focus they had previously placed on vignettes and government meetings, but it certainly helped. It at least somewhat justified all the character work and let a lot of their stories come full circle. The various interactions between the doubles (whether they were confrontational, violent, fraternal, or collegial) were excellent, and I really enjoyed the endings for most of the passengers. Some of the stories could have been
follows a masterless Golem and a newly freed Jinni as they explore New York City at the turn of the 20th century. I struggled with how to properly rate this: it truly feels like a 5/5 literary masterpiece and a work of art that deserves appreciation, but I definitely didn't get as much raw enjoyment out of the book as I have many others. Note that if you go into this expecting a fast (or even average) paced, plot-driven book, you will be disappointed. Through all this, my actual rating of this book fluctuates from a 4 to a 4.75, and I've decided to take a sort of average of those ratings.
There is a plot, but the book is really anchored by the long, thorough development of its characters, especially the titular Golem and the Jinni, getting the classic "1900 American immigrant" experience. Honestly, the two titular characters are some of the best realized characters I've read in any fiction, as they each become increasingly human in fundamentally different ways, only to eventually adopt certain attitudes held by one another (in particular, when >!the Jinni tries to kill himself to save Chava!<). The side characters were also quite well-written, with their own incredibly layered backstories, POVs, and motivations. It sometimes felt like too much time was being dedicated to rather unnecessary scenes with these side characters, especially in the beginning. Honestly, I can't tell whether I liked that or disliked that, because while they distracted from the mains and the plot, their characterization was still incredibly rich.
I will say that because of this, along with the slower nature of the book as a whole, the first 100-200 pages were a bit difficult to get through. It just kept pivoting to unnecessary POVs of sometimes unnecessary side characters. Having finished the book, I don't know if I could see myself removing much (if any) of it, since it all did help flesh out the characters in question. However, it still felt like an overly extended prologue and disrupted the book's pacing. Compare this to Tigerman (my "vacation spot" square), where, despite the focus of the book being its character development, the story never felt dull.
On a similar note, it was a hell of a coincidence for >!the Golem's creator to be the Jinni's reincarnated master, and for Schallman's Golem to meet ibn Malik's Jinni, and for them to arrive freed in New York at the exact same time!<. I did love the chapter where all is revealed about of >!ibn Malik/Schallman being the one to both imprison the Jinni AND create the Golem!<, but it was still pretty damn coincidental. Coincidence is a core foundation of the book and it's premise, so this isn't a major criticism. However, it still felt a bit off. Similarly, the ending to the book's climax was fine, but it felt a bit rushed and did not really resonate with me despite the >!death of Saleh!<.
Justification: The Golem gets a job at a Jewish bakery and spends a lot of time baking challah, rugalech, macaroons, cookies, breads, etc. I baked rugelach for this challenge, which turned out pretty good. | Other squares: Older Protagonist (EM); Non-Human Protagonists (EM)
Trans/NB Protagonist (HM): She Who Became the Sun (Radiant Emperor #1) by Shelley Parker-Chan -- 4/5
The first book in the Radiant Emperor duology, this book is a historical fantasy, gender-identity-oriented retelling of the riae of the Ming Dynasty in 1300s China. I had initially heard both very positive and more tepid reviews for this book - I came away from it understanding and agreeing with the critiques but firmly enjoying this book.
My favorite thing about this book, no question, is the writing style. Shelley Parker-Chen is a terrific writer - every paragraph conveyed so much depth and meanin and the dialogue was generally great. The character work was quite good as well, though Zhu Chongba came off as a bit one-note at times (fate of greatness, fate of greatness, fate of greatness, even though by the end >!she doesn't quite explain her justification outside of "I want it". Maybe that's enough.!<) but was
Rview: Witchmark by C.L. Polk, audio book. Urban Fantasy.
In this novel the MC, a psychiatrist, is working in a hospital for war veterans suffering from PTSD. A man brings in another man losing a lot of blood. The MC is living under a pseudonym and the dying man uses the MC's real name and begs him to save the other soldiers. As he dies his power(Witchmark's version of magic) is transferred to the MC unwitnessed. The story goes from there. This urban fantasy takes place in a city akin to, I assume, London. There are economic classes, but in this first book of the series there do not seem to be poor folks. There's electricity of a sort, telephones, rare automobiles, hygienic practices for the hospital, and other things that make me unsure what era of English history the book is set in. If you're seeking MLM fiction this has that also. Over all the book is a decent listen. The reader does a good job for the various voices and his cadence suits the prose. Most of the characters seem to be “I'm a proper british gentleman/lady who speaks like a proper british gentleman/lady.” Otherwise the characters are working class blokes and whatever slang equivalent for women. I'm not British so I could be incorrect. As an audio book it is entertaining and paced well, though nothing feels particularly new or interesting enough to stand out. It was good for me to listen to while driving. I'll be checking out the next audio book in the series. However I find it unlikely I'd enjoy reading a hard copy. Audio book version 3/5 stars.
Links to my other recent reviews:
This Dreaming Isle edited by Dan Coxon. Folklore horror, brief review.
Morbid Tales by Quentin S. Crisp. Weird fiction short stories.
https://redd.it/1xmdax3
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Ender's Tribe, by Orson Scott Card (bingo review 20/25)
Collection of short stories from the world of "Ender's Game," as well as the original novelette that got expanded into the novel. I've read some of these before, so to err on the safe side I'm counting this as my one allowed bingo reread. Spoiler tagged for the novels in the series, not particularly spoilery for these stories themselves.
Preface: OSC talks about how Ender is a compelling character because of his leadership and relationship with his jeesh. Quotes the Bible: "Whoever would be the greatest among you, let him be the servant of all." "those were the attributes that made a good leader--something that I had never been."
>!"Mazer in Prison": Mazer sets the conditions for him returning from the relativistic journey to help train his potential successor.!<
>>!Then Graff will figure out how to train the candidates he identifies. Again, you'll do whatever he wants. Nothing is too expensive. Nothing is too difficult. Nothing requires a single committee meeting to agree. Everybody in the IF and everybody in the government is Graff's servant, and all they should ever ask him is to clarify his instructions.!<
>!"What if we could just replace all the bureaucratic committee meetings with a leader who was willing to make tough decisions and take responsibility" is definitely a take that resonates with certain military people today. I can see how it works in a setting like "Project Hail Mary." From Mazer's perspective, the fate of the human species is at stake, it justifies the same shortcuts. But justifying it IRL is...over my pay grade, that's for sure.!<
>!"Pretty Boy," "Cheater": Bonzo and Han Tzu, respectively, in their pre-Battle School years with the monitor. Similar premises in terms of the hopes and aspirations their fathers have (outdated national pride, in the era of the International Fleet, is a big deal), and the disconnect between what kids are able to see/control versus the adult world. I don't see any hint of Bonzo as a bully at this age, he's just a kid who wants to please his parents.!<
>!"Ender's Game" (1977 novelette): Card spells "novelet" differently than the Hugos :p I remembered that the Locke and Demosthenes subplot was not part of the story yet. Some things I hadn't remembered:!<
>!\-very early on, Ender realizes "I'm isolating Bean the same way the adults isolated me." Is this necessary? Is this an example of good leadership like the preface suggests?!<
>!\-no girls in Battle School in this version!<
>!\-the Formics don't have a name yet, they're just "the enemy." No mention of Mazer being the one to defeat them in the previous war. Mazer even has the "we launched the Third Invasion so we could attack them before they attacked us again" before the end reveal!!<
>!\-how do they pick kids in this version?!!<
>>!Ender Wiggin was a stranger to the world he was being trained to save. He did not remember ever leaving Battle School before. His earliest memories were of childish war games under the direction of a teacher, of meals with other boys in the gray-and-green uniforms of the armed fores of his world. He did not know that the gray represented the sky and the green represented the great forests of his planet. All he knew of the world was from vague references to "outside."!<
>!"Ender's Stocking": Peter deals with his parents missing Ender at Christmastime. This is the one that most explicitly spells out the themes of leadership. Peter is, on the one hand, becoming the "fake it till you make it" Locke from the books; on the other, still extremely cruel and dismissive of others at times.!<
>>!Why do I even try to adapt to this world? I'm never going to fit in, not with my family, not at school. And when I graduate and get my college degrees--from a university where I won't fit in--who will hire me? Who will supervise me? That's a laugh. I'm not of the same species, and they know it.!<
>!Part of me relates to Peter when he's in a funk like this. Then a few pages later he'll be reminiscing about how he taught himself to throw
Looking for Book series like Dragon Age
I’m sure like most other fantesy/sci fi fans you’re still morning the loss of BioWare. So I was curious if there were any particular books series that could fill the dragon age shaped hole I now have.
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The Fionavar Tapestry- what did Diarmuid mean with "both of you"?
Silly question, maybe, but it is bothering me that I don't quite understand.
After the funeral of Ailell everyone gathers in the throne room, and things happen and are said. Sharra turns up, throwing a knife and intends to kill Diarmuid with it. Aileron makes her stumble so the knife ends up in Diarmuids arm instead of his heart. He is for a second "indisguised" and says "Both of you?", but only Sharra hears him.
I don't get what he means. Aileron had the archers ready on the balcony, that Diarmuid's men found and disarmed. So yes, sure, Aileron was prepared to kill his brother IF that had been needed to take the throne (asshole) but Sharra had no "if". She was there to kill D, period.
What exactly did Diarmuid mean with "both of you"? It's not like Aileron and Sharra were conspiring against him or anything. And it's not like "oh, my only brother and the love of my life", because let's be honest. Diarmuid doesn't love his brother and he sure doesn't love Sharra. It's not like they're his only family left, or something. I mean, Aileron is, but Sharra was (at that point, at least) only a conquest (though motives are a little unclear to me). What, "both of" what?
I find that all the many halfsaid things and unexplained comments throughout the book are irritating but this is the one that actually bothers me. Does this comment from Diarmuid get revisited and "explained"? He does mutter these words later that nigh in bed with a lady of the court, so it feels like this is something of import. Since it was repeated, I mean.
I will have finished the first book in a short while, so please no spoilers for the rest of the story.
https://redd.it/1xlzjok
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What are the coolest animals/beasts in fantasy?
I love me some cool, memorable, or even mythical animals in my fantasy. I just think it’s cool as hell honestly to see different types of animals contextualized in a fantasy world.
Some perfect examples:
\- The sea dragons from the Tide Child trilogy by RJ Barker
\- The leviathans from the Ana & Donn books
\- The oliphants in LotR
What else is there?
https://redd.it/1xm7oe6
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Looking for recommendations for books with romance subplot without SA
Hi!, recently I read a good book with a good romance subplot that let me happy and excited to read the second book, then I find out that in second book that the FMC is forced by circumstances in a relationship that she didn't wanted.I guess I should have seen that coming, considering that SA and forced relationships seem to be recurring elements in fantasy stories with darker worlds and themes.
So now I feel bad because I wasn't expecting that, I start looking for something else to read and found>!Dragon Prince Trilogy by Melanie Rawn!<, plot looks good and with a romance subplot of a Witch that is fated to marry the Prince? looks great but just to be sure let me ask GPT real quick if this is what I'm looking for and... FUCK!! >!(both MMC and FMC are SA)!<
So please help me with some recommendations.
Just to be clear I'm not looking for romantasy, I'm searching for books (fantasy/sci-fi) with a solid main plot and romance as a subplot, the romance can be minimal or more relevant to the history but without the main couple (M/F) being SA or forced to being with someone against their wishes.
Books that I have read and loved:
Eragon
The Wheel of Time
Maze Runner
Percy Jackson
The Name of the Wind
Elantris and Mistborn
Even Harry Potter (so so little romance but when there was some I was ready to eat those crumbs)
The main couple doesn't have to necessary end together and they can be with other people by the end of the history.
The most romance-centric book I've read is Life and Death (Twilight for guys), and I liked it.
To finish these are some books that I was planing to read, could you tell me if any of these have what I'm looking for:
The Raven Scholar - Antonia Hodgson
The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold
The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
Empire of Silence - Christopher Ruocchio
Ironbound - Andrew Gilber
Malice - John Gwynne
Empire of the Vampire - Jay Kristoff
The Will of The Many - James Islington
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
Of Blood and Fire - Ryan Cahill
The Expanse - James Corey
I can read books without romance and still love them, but for me, at least a little romance is the cherry on top, for example as a teenager I loved Percy Jackson as a whole but the part I remember most fondly is the relationship between >!Percy and Annabeth!<.
Thank you for your time reading this post and your help.
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Looking for more heist-y fantasy
I just finished The Lies of Locke Lamora and absolutely loved it! I'm going to read the rest of the Gentlemen Bastard Sequence, but I'm now wondering what other cool heist-y fantasy is out there. Anyone know of other great fantasy about thieves?
https://redd.it/1xlx18n
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r/Fantasy Daily Recommendations and Simple Questions Thread - November 02, 2026
https://preview.redd.it/l2cosnpoixbg1.png?width=3508&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb9f4a2807499edc796351cc28ec39b3aea4d7c2
**Welcome to the daily recommendation requests and simple questions thread, now 1025.83% more adorable than ever before!**
Stickied/highlight slots are limited, so please remember to ~~like and subscribe~~ upvote this thread for visibility on the subreddit <3
——
This thread is to be used for recommendation requests or simple questions that are small/general enough that they won’t spark a full thread of discussion.
Check out [r/Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/)'s [2026 Book Bingo Card here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1s9n3e6/official_rfantasy_2026_book_bingo_challenge/)!
As usual, first have a look at the sidebar in case what you're after is there. The [r/Fantasy wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/wiki/recommendations) contains links to many community resources, including "best of" lists, flowcharts, the LGTBQ+ database, and more. If you need some help figuring out what you want, think about including some of the information below:
* Books you’ve liked or disliked
* Traits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy
* Series vs. standalone preference
* Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc)
* Complexity/depth level
Be sure to check out responses to other users' requests in the thread, as you may find plenty of ideas there as well. Happy reading, and may your TBR grow ever higher!
——
[^(tiny image link to make the preview show up correctly)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ITpGPzWOOd7MHhCY2d6Zv_6MWsntfT3s/view?usp=sharing)
art credit: special thanks to our artist, [Himmis commissions](https://himmis.carrd.co/), who we commissioned to create this gorgeous piece of art for us with practically no direction other than "cozy, magical, bookish, and maybe a gryphon???" We absolutely love it, and we hope you do too.
https://redd.it/1xlwlqg
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Review: "Murder at Castle Calvera" by Morgan Stang | "HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS"
*I received an ARC, he did not pay me to beta read, edit, or ask him "WHY IS A WHALE THERE" but i did it anyway, much to his annoyance...Why he still lets me have ARCs is a mystery\**
*I still bought a copy at full price anyway*
***This review is long, jump to where you want, I'm not your uncle***
# "HE CAN'T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS"
\-2026, me
https://preview.redd.it/hioz64fzs6zh1.png?width=333&format=png&auto=webp&s=681e44ff2a7c8867ffcf0cbe7e16e74771d38536
[Review Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ErJC9a0bI)
\-
Fear is weird.
What is terrifying to some, to others, it's something they shrug, say "Ew", and move on with their life.
Take. Mother. Friking. Snails. For example.
They are the bane of my existence and deserve yeeting of the highest kingdom. I love all animals but if I see a snail, bro is getting evicted and moved to the nearest tree (much to my neighbor's chagrin). Birds are also at the top of the list and I will scream if I see a CANADIAN GOOSE run at me at top speeds.
But skull squishing? De-skinning like someone's an apple?
That's fine!
All is this to say is we all live in different spheres of life and come together for this one book. It's beautiful that what is scary for some and not for others and yet, we still choose to pick up this book anyway and are united to either love or dislike something. ("Hate" is only deserved for slop. And "Starside".)
That's what it means to come together to solve a murder with an astrophysicist. You meet and touch souls you would never meet in your daily life.
All because of one book.
\-
"Calvera" will get you feeling cozy at the fireplace, sobbing for people you only knew for a few hours (and then going to bed having a dream about them which freaked me tf out), scared over whistling, shivering at multiple men taller than you (I'm almost 4'11), and twitching over owls.
Stang keeps outdoing himself and it makes me feel honored that I'm in the same timeline (even if it's dark) that I get to read his work.
He keeps getting away with his glorious crimes of writing some of the best books I've ever read that I wish I read these books as a kid and not HP.
I am cynical AF due to disability. But...he has the ability to cast a spell to make me love reading and feel like a goth kid again.
Thank you, Stang, keep getting away with this.
\-
Cover:
https://preview.redd.it/qajdjet4t6zh1.png?width=333&format=png&auto=webp&s=d028cae1e2d7d89b9a05fef6cc79a100ac9ebb69
Beautiful, Etheric Designs keep outdoing themselves, simple and does the job
**Prose:**
Approachable, he doesn't question that the good reader has a brain and doesn't need to describe what a piece of ham looks like
\+2
**Plot:**
Simplistic, however, he keeps you on your toes, even for someone like me who is good at suss'ing out plot lines and twists, I had no idea what was going to happen until the very end.
\+2
**Pace:**
It is slow in the beginning because we are setting the scene but that it just brrs to the end
**Characters:**
Even the damn side characters are fleshed, wtf. I know that's normal for Stang yet DAMN. Every single one of them has their fears, desires, personality etched into their heart that I got attached to EVERYONE. Even Angus' fixation with anchovies.
Also I'm rootin' for my favorite side ship
\+6.7
**Vibe:**
Spoopy castle where there's Day of the Dead and ravens
**Worldbuilding**
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
\+1000
\-
Stang, you don't read reviews I know, but it really is an honor to get to ARC your work.
Your books touch more souls than you can imagine.
5/5
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Looking for something in between Malazan and Branden Sanderson
I've read the first 6 Malazan books and I've enjoyed them but I find them to be quite intense and need to take a break between books. I enjoyed Mistborn when I read it a while ago and so decided to give Stormlight archive a go, but after coming from Malazan (and Farseer trology before that), The Way of Kings just feels way too YA for me, and I find it kinda cringey.
So I'm looking for recommendations for something that falls in between these two series, in terms of prose and complexity. I will likely start Liveship Traders soon, but looking for some other recs in the meantime. Another series I enjoyed and finished recently was the Greenbone Saga.
Also happy to hear any sci fi recs that fit this request!
https://redd.it/1xls0xz
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Looking for dark fantasy with gothic atmosphere, biblical mythology, angels, demons and medieval European settings. Recommendations?
I’ve always been drawn to dark, supernatural and gothic stories. Here are some of my favourites. Would love to hear what you think of my taste and get some recommendations.
My list (ratings out of 10):
Teen Wolf — 10/10 (literally the very first series I ever watched)
Supernatural — 9.5/10
Lucifer — 9/10
Penny Dreadful — 9/10
Constantine — 9/10
The Devil’s Advocate — 11/10
The Matrix — 9/10
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina — 7/10
The Ninth Gate — 8.5/10
The Order — 7/10
Salem — 7/10
Last Rites — 8/10
The themes I love:
Angels, demons, Heaven and Hell, Lucifer, fallen angels, biblical mythology, early Christianity, ancient religious lore, supernatural creatures, gothic architecture, medieval Europe, castles, dark romance and forbidden relationships.
I’m also a big fan of that old-world European gothic aesthetic.
I’m not necessarily looking for horror or gore. I love immersive worlds, fascinating mythology, morally complex characters and a genuinely dark atmosphere. Suggest me something 😭
https://redd.it/1xmdz31
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Looking for Trad Fantasy with a Unique Angle
I'm looking for a novel/story/comic/game that has a traditional fantasy setting - European medieval vibes, maybe elves/dwarves/orcs, magic, etc - but there's something unique about the setting. Like maybe there's an undead queen leads the kingdom of good. or all the elves are out for revenge, etc.
Just some angle that livens up the trad of it all, an interesting and maybe story provoking twist to the setting.
Anything you can recommend along those lines?
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cut entirely (in particular, Blake's and the little girl's). The climax of the book through the end were also pretty good, showing the darker side of humanity and also semingly validating >!that it was all a simulation!< (mixed feelings on this aspect of the ending). I was pleasantly surprised to come away with an at least somewhat positive impression of the book. But there were still so many issues with this book that I can't rate it higher than this.
Justification: Translated into English from French in Nov 2021, read in Aug 2026
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overall a very enjoyable protagonist. Ma was a great side character/love interest. Further, I loved the juxtaposition of Zhu and Ouyang's attitudes toward their own fates, and exploring Ouyang's side of that coin was fascinating. His contrasting love for Esen with his resignation for what he feels needs to happen was beautifully tragic (especially since, realistically, he could choose to diverge from that path if he so chose). Some of his lines were also just absolutely savage (>!"If only you had been stronger, you could have saved him"!< \- that's just brutal).
However, while the direction of the plot was good, it frequently felt like its execution was off. I don't know if they were necessarily plot holes, but it often felt like characters would act and events would play out unrealistically just so the plot can move forward in a way that makes Zhu seem that much better than everybody else. For example, I don't understand how this rebellion is even remotely functional anymore. The leaders not named Zhu Chongba seemed to have been significantly dumbed down so that Zhu can emerge as superior. Parker-Chan justifies it to an extent (with the rebels >!losing their main general before the main plotline begins!< and the rebellion leaders constantly jostling for power), but some of the decisions were just silly and would have significantly weakened their chance of winning the rebellion and claiming real power at all. Further, with the amount of rebellions, coups, and leadership turnover, I don't know how the Red Turbans had any remaining morale. On top of that, Ma apparently had the inside scoop on how to use current events and politics to their advantage, but none of the other schemers did? There were a few other gripes I had throughout (Why did >!the brand new governor of Lu not have any guards?!< Why did >!Zhu save the PM and the Prince of Radiance from certain death if she just planned to kill them anyway?!<) that definitely raised questions for me.
However, despite these gaps, I had a great time reading this book and I am excited to read the sequel.
Justification: Trans/NB protagonist in 1300s China | Other squares: Afterlife (HM); Duology Part 1 (HM for me); Politics and Court Intrigue (EM); Author of Color (EM)
Middle Grade (HM): A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge -- 4.5/5
Hardinge creates probably the most creative and unique world I've ever seen. To paint a picture, this book takes place in a physics-defying cave city lit by giant venus fly trap-powered lanterns and run by a literally split-brained Grand Steward, where each facial expression must be actively taught and consciously changed like clothes. It's a complex, crazy world, and though it took a bit longer than I would've liked to get into the meat of the plot, I enjoyed every second of it. Moreover, I was very pleasantly surprised by the book's pivot to the struggles of classism. The idea that >!faces were withheld from the drudges to increase (perceived) apathy and discourage class rebellion!< was something I had never thought of, but it was brilliantly executed, and it's only become increasingly relevant today. The confrontation with >!Madame Appeline!< and the unraveling of the mysteries over the course of the book were fantastic, and shockingly dark for a middle grade book. And then, as I hoped for, the ending >!rebounded to be incredibly wholesome and joyous!<.
The characters were all solid - Neverfell was too overly earnest/eager/childish for my taste at first, but I loved her development over the course of the book as she starts to gain a better sense of the world, particularly after her time interacting with >!the Kleptomancer and the drudges!<. I especially loved how actively she adopts the >!Kleptomancer's mindset of choosing the crazy unrealistic path nobody will expect, as well as tactics like selective memory wiping!<. I enjoyed the other characters as well. Erstwhile was just wholesome as hell, the Kleptomancer was a fantastic addition to the roster, and the bifurcated Grand Steward was such a unique twist on the
5 Bingo Reviews (HM): In the Shadow of Lightning, The Golem and the Jinni, She Who Became the Sun, A Face Like Glass, The Anomaly
Hi all! Finally getting around to posting my reviews for books 6-10 of my Bingo Board!
Still pretty pleased with books 6-10, though not quite as much as I was for my prior batch. One fun thing I did is that I did Feast your Eyes (HM) for two different squares here.
Judge a Book by its Title: In the Shadow of Lightning (4.25/5)
Feast your Eyes on This: The Golem and the Jinni (4.25/5)
Trans/NB Protagonist: She Who Became the Sun (4/5)
Middle Grade: A Face Like Glass (4.5/5)
Translated: The Anomaly (2.75/5)
Judge a Book by its Title (HM): In the Shadow of Lightning (Glass Immortals #1) by Brian McClellan -- 4.25/5
In the Shadow of Lightning is the first book in Brian McClellan's new flintlock fantasy series "Glass Immortals". I dove right in without reading the synopsis. In some ways, this book was jaw-droppingly spectacular. However, it was continuously hindered by issues with the plot and the writing.
Both the premise of the book and its execution were damn good, though events within the story were initially happening far too quickly, which made it difficult to care about the characters and get my bearings in this complex new world. I'd say at about the 20% mark though, the quality picked up DRAMATICALLY, to the point that I was reading at work instead of billing hours. The military plotline with Idrian (and later, >!Demir!<) was nothing short of cinematic, and the battle sequences were superbly written. The murder investigation plotline with Kizzie went way more horror than I expected, and in the best way possible. The phoenix channel plotline with Demir and Thessa was not as consistently epic as the others, but was still damn good (I loved the social and economic implications of it all, as well as seeing the two get closer over the book). In addition, the magic system involving godglass and glassdancers was both unique and thoroughly thought-out, and I loved how the story slowly but surely incorporated all of these >!eldritch horrors that are the Yuglid!<. Further, the characters were also all pretty good - none of them put up with bullshit or dilly-dalled, they acted immediately and decisvely without being Mary Sues. Even later, though, I did have a couple gripes with the plot. Firstly, I preferred the >!Yuglid!< as some sort of >!minimally-explained horror rather than them being an independent race of monsters bent on destroying/ruling humanity like they seem!<. It feels a bit cliche and takes away from some of the mystery, though I could change my mind about this after Book 2. On a similar note, I didn't like that everyone, even Kerite's Drakes, were >!part of this Glass Knife conspiracy!<. I liked there being some separation. Lastly, I wish we got to see more of the "secret wars" between the guilds, but that's minor.
The writing style was generally good, but I still had some critiques. It would alternate between very thought provoking, clever and entertaining, and straight-up cliche. I had some more minor nitpicks with the writing as well. The use of curses like "glassdamn" felt a bit on the nose for the subject matter of the book; the author would often treat the protagonists as more clever than they actually were for asking simple questions; and it sometimes felt like information about previously introduced people and concepts would be conveniently and retroactively added (instead of more organically when they were initially brought up). These were all fairly minor nits, but they added up.
Overall, I'm definitely reading the sequel when it releases.
Justification: I didn't read the synopsis, I just picked up the book because the title was cool | Other squares: Murder mystery (EM); Cat Squasher (EM); Politics and Court Intrigue (EM)
Feast Your Eyes on This (HM): The Golem and the Jinni (Golem and the Jinni #1) by Helene Wecker -- 4.25/5
The first book in Wecker's Golem and the Jinni series, this book
rocks at squirrels and then vivisect them, and it's like...hmm, no, can't relate to that one.!<
>!"The Gold Bug": a Fleet soldier turned xenobiologist investigates a former Formic colony world that has more biodiversity than most of the other Formic worlds. (This was apparently adapted/summarized as part of "Ender in Exile," I read that one years ago but don't remember this character at all.)!<
>!The main character, Sel, comes up with a plan for increasing the genetic diversity of the planet, and scrupulously rules out himself from participating. "Oh yeah I'm not...personally interested...I just believe in diversifying the gene pool" echoes the "Homecoming Saga."!<
>!Sel is the governor before (a time-dilated, fifteen-year-old) Ender shows up, and plans to take a science trip to avoid being there when Ender arrives. This is an interesting detail about leadership:!<
>>!"It's going to be hard enough for him without everybody turning to me for answers all the time. And they will. You will. The new colonists have been in stasis throughout the voyage. They don't know him--so they'll tend to follow whomever the old settlers follow. And if I'm here, that'll be me."!<
>!My mom says that when pastors retire, they're supposed to avoid their former church for at least a one-year period, for this exact reason--give the replacement time to do their job without everyone constantly comparing them to the predecessor.!<
>!Polar exploration drinking game:!<
>>!The pictures, the test results, those were secure--they would not be lost, no matter what happened to Sel and Po. The samples, though, were by far the most valuable items.!<
>!"Governor Wiggin": Two years after "The Gold Bug," Ender is still practicing his leadership skills while the colony deals with 1. a potential supply of iron, which would let them make their own tools, and 2. two young people who want to get married even though they're both carriers of the same genetic disease. This one is kind of (I think purposefully) underwhelming. Ender just tries to stay out of the way, delegate the mineral work to leaders who are smart enough to delegate it to people who know what they're doing, and politely remind people what the interplanetary colony law consists of. He's seventeen, he's not always going to be the expert. But not super engaging as plot goes.!<
>!"Renegat": Dabeet Ochoa is an itinerant governor who deals with colonies that present difficult legal challenges. Dabeet is from "Children of the Fleet," a not-very-interesting spinoff that includes Graff (I think Graff is just one of OSC's favorites). Apparently Dabeet and Ender spoke at one point when they were kids, but I don't remember that from "Children of the Fleet," so maybe it was offscreen, or maybe just not very memorable. Anyway, now they (and Valentine) are still young, but many centuries have passed for non-relativistic people. Ender is there to do Speaker things, pre-"Speaker for the Dead." The weird scientist who succumbed to a mysterious poison was researching the local species and trying to decide if they were sapient, humans have still not conclusively found another sapient species but they don't want another xenocide.!<
>!This was an interesting setup, but the end just kind of fizzled out, this could have been the first chunk of a longer thing. But it touches on both the theme of "Speaker"--"how do we recognize intelligence in something so alien that it's unclear how to communicate them, or even if they can communicate at all?"--and the theme connecting "Ender's Game" to some of the later books--"how do people cope if they're blamed for something that's not their fault?" Which is a fascinating question, but really hard to answer. (For more fun and exciting "collective guilt" discourse, come see my blog!)!<
Bingo: 5+ Short Stories, Published in 2026.
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[Book Sale] Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson #14) by Patricia Briggs on sale for $2.99
https://www.bookbub.com/books/winter-lost-by-patricia-briggs?ebook_deal
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GameLit-style book recommendations?
I’m a huge pencil-and-paper RPG fan (going back 50 years) but this style of fantasy that discusses die rolls or stats is just distracting to me. Some crossover would be ok but especially the constant ‘stat readouts’ of skills/spells is just annoying (to me). We’ve even experimented with not rolling dice while gaming and keeping the stats mostly out of it (more role playing and less roll playing and the DM adjudicates the outcomes based on the story).
One reason I haven’t tried Dungeon Crawler Carl is this style just grates on me — I guess I want more ‘GameLit’.
Are there any good ones that don’t do that? And don’t say Malazan — that’s not to my taste.
I like a ton of stuff, from Legends and Lattes (a cozy fantasy), LotR/Hobbit, Cycle of Arawn, Wheel of Time, Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, Riftwar Saga, Drizzt, Chronicles of Amber, Dragonriders of Pern, Discworld*, many others. Expanse, PHM, HHGttG, Bobiverse, Murderbot, Magic 2.0, etc on the sci-fi side.
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The Emperor's Edge: Small Rant
I'm only on Chapter 13 of Book 1, so please, no spoilers! I'm really enjoying it so far, but I have to ask: Amaranthe is currently on the run from the law, and they have her picture drawn and plastered all over the city. Yet she continues going out without making any effort to change her appearance?!?!
Hair dye, a haircut, something! Hair dye and makeup have been around for thousands of years (over 5,000, actually, so I'm assuming they're available in whatever time period this book takes place). I'm just genuinely confused as to why she hasn't made even the slightest effort to disguise herself, especially when she's still going out in public (even making an appearance at the "enemy's" house). Lol, I'm sorry, but it's just seems like such a glaring oversight! 😂
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Looking for a fantasy with a Confucian inspired kingdom.
Recommend me a fantasy novel with a kingdom inspired by the worst parts of Confucian China.
A kingdom that is a bureaucratic nightmare of paperwork, politics, impossible civil exams and a elite class that masquerades as intellectuals when in fact its all institutionalized posturing and academic conformity.
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Gods of The Wyrdwood by RJ Barker proves he’s still the King of original and weird fantasy worlds
By itself, this is Barker’s strongest work yet. Only reason I won’t call it his best series is because Tide Child had the kind of ending you only see once in a lifetime. But his control of POVs with the character voices, character building, how character dynamics with each other as well as their dynamics with the narrative are established and interwoven, the details and intricacies of this original world and society and the story: a collection of simple and familiar concepts explored with strong clarity: outcast, survival, community, oppression, faith, gods, nature, corruption… are the best he’s been in the four book of his I’ve read. And wow the world really draws you in and keeps you. The focus on plants and emphasis on the interconnectivity of all lifeforms as fauna to explore most of the aforementioned themes was really a smart fantasy leaning choice because the atmosphere achieved as a result sets it apart from every other fantasy I can think of. It feels more like a fantasy’s scavenger’s reign for those familiar with this sci-fi tv series. And for those who aren’t, I meant to say it evokes a feeling of being terrifyingly beautiful: that sense of knowing both your insignificance and significance as a part of nature in comparison to other more domineering beings while learning how in the end you all are a collective of the larger whole. This “organism” theme that’s so palpable in almost every part of the world and narrative is what truly sets it apart for me. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it: the awe, the eerie and the mundane of it are all things I can’t wait to dive back into.
This is a book I’ll like to say I actively loved and throughly enjoyed reading every step of the way but that’s not true. Reading it was frustrating not only cuz of the psychologies of the primary pov but unfortunately cuz of quite a number of typos (counted at least 10 before I gave up keeping count. I honestly don’t get how this amount of errors gets past editors in this day and age but here we are). That said, with the benefit of hindsight I can claim thoroughly enjoying it all the way (sans typos) because the payoff involves the frustration as part of the point. Honestly I finished this book meeting at least 3 new characters I’ll consider among some of my absolute favorites: Cahan, Venn and Udinny. That’s how effective I found the writing. Even the antagonists from the personal archenemy Sorha, to the overarching villain the Cowl Rai whom I shan’t name cuz of spoilers as well as the unfathomable force of death here I found to be more fascinating. The tone too is really grim.
This world and the reality of the people… heck entities in it is really dark. Luckily the protagonists are some of the kindest characters I’ve come across (all with their edges such as being reluctant to heroism but kind nonetheless). Anyways proper review with thematic discussions will have to wait until I’m done with the trilogy. I look forward to the sequels keeping up with this strong start.
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I wish more fantasy authors would let their villains win
One of the things I love about The Children of Hurin is how much weight its story carries. The consequences feel real, victories aren’t guaranteed, and the characters aren’t protected by the expectation of a happy ending.
I think fantasy can be so much more impactful when the heroes genuinely have something to lose. Not every story needs a happy ending, and sometimes a tragic one stays with you much longer.
What fantasy books have left you emotionally devastated because things didn’t work out the way you hoped?
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Robin Hobb Appreciation Post - bloody good stuff
What are you favourite things about Robin Hobb’s works?
A couple of years ago I decided to read through all of Robinson Hobb’s Fitz and the Fool and Elderling series. I finished the last one about a year ago and still think about it often. They were brilliant stories. I love Hobb’s ability to keep me engaged 150 pages with a main character pottering around at home, and then within pages you’re in the thick of tragedy and intrigue. The world building is wonderful, in the true sense of the word. The extended time we get with characters gives a real sense of the eb and flow of relationships, with some really brilliant and touching explorations of friendship that I’ve read. Some characters can be frustratingly dense (you know who I’m talking about), but I also appreciated that these were character flaws. The characters, no matter how impressive, had limitations and blind spots. When I was reading it I couldn’t put it down.
For me, Hobb is up there with Tolkien and Erickson. I feel like she is very well known but perhaps doesn’t get quite the amount of cudos as deserved. I’d love to hear what others appreciate about Hobb’s work.
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I just got done listening to Jade War by Fonda Lee, and absolutely loved it!
There are some stories that feel like they're written for you; this book felt like that to me.
It's the second book in the Greenbone Saga trilogy by Fonda Lee, which in other words can also be called my favourite series of all time. I loved every single thing about this book. The characters were GREAT and easily some of the best I've read/listened to! The pacing was good, the story was excellent and so addictive, and writing style was quite good. I'd honestly give it a 6/5 star cuz it was just THAT good! The only book I'd given a 6 star was 11.22.63, which was also my favourite book of all time until I read Jade War, which means it has now become my favourite book of all time.
The audiobook performance by Andrew Kishino is easily the best I've listened to. He has such a talent of voicing emotions of characters so perfectly and he can voice both male and female characters in such excellence. (LOVED KAUL HILO'S VOICE A LOT 😋)
Let's talk about the book's characters now cuz I'm absolutely in love with them all(it's the only multi-pov book where I loved every single character's chapters).
The characters I found the most interesting in this book were:
1. Kaul Shae (Loved every single chapter where she was present. I imagined her as Ada Wong from the Resident Evil series, which made me like her even more 😋. I'd love to know more about her. I was literally cheering and was also scared when she >!Openly challenged Ayt Mada for a duel!< )
2. Emeri Anden (He feels so relatable to me at times. What happened in the end of this book makes me feel so excited to read more about him and his relationships with the Kaul family)
3. Kaul Hilo (He's a very emotionally-driven angry family man and I LOVE him for being that. I'm loving his character arc and development. I was actually quite shocked at some of his decisions. Really excited to see what happens in the third book)
4. Wen (There aren't that many chapters that show her pov but I still like her a lot. She's not physically strong as the others because of... reasons. I'd love her a lot more if there were more of her chapters in this book, but well, the third book is so long so I guess there are gonna be more chapters including her. I hope so)
5. Bero (I know he's an asshole but that is the thing that makes me want to see what happens to him next because he's just so unpredictable.)
Now let's talk about the world building. The world building expanded a lot in this book compared to the First one, adding more countries and cities but it still wasn't that great but idc. Idk if it's a popular or unpopular opinion but I don't care about world building that much. If you love deep worldbuildings in your book then you won't probably like it cuz its more of a political, plot+character driven story.
The only thing I do not like about the story is that it's just a trilogy and that there's just one(massive) book left in the story. Idk how the story is gonna end but I love it so much that it makes me feel sad that it's gonna be over after I finish Jade Legacy. I own that book but I'm still gonna get the audiobook because it's just so good (especially because of Hilo's sexy voice 😋)
That's all I'd wanted to say. I'd love to know how y'all rank the books tho, if you've read them all.
Have a good day/night
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Finished the Farseer Trilogy- Final Thoughts (Spoilers)
A few months ago I made a post about my experience with the first two books in the trilogy. In short, I was mostly enjoying it, but I struggled to understand the glowing endorsements it received. I felt that too much of book 2 consisted of Fitz going to people's bedrooms and talking to them, and those people never left their bedrooms or talked to anyone other than Fitz.
Assassin's Quest ended up being a far more enjoyable experience for me in contrast. We got to see a bit more of the world, the interactions between Fitz and other characters took place in more interesting settings with more interesting things happening around them than just the same 5 or 6 rooms we spent most of Royal Assassin in, and the other characters actually felt like they had a bit of agency of their own. The highlights for me were the failed assassination attempt in Tradeford, Fitz's capture and escape on the road to Blue Lake, and the journey through the mountains with Starling, Kettle and the smugglers. I did find that the skill road and quarry parts dragged on a little, however. I also found it a little jarring how late in the story dragons were even brought up, before they suddenly became an integral part of the story. I don't think they were mentioned at all in the first two books, and I'm not sure they were mentioned in book 3 until over halfway through. I mean, I guess we all kinda just understand what dragons are and don't need a lot of preamble to introduce them, but for an element that plays such a key role in the finale you'd think they'd be at least mentioned a few times before that.
I really liked Fitz in this one. I loved his relationship with Nighteyes, and I enjoyed the dynamics that emerged from having Fitz, Kettricken, the Fool, Kettle, Starling, and Verity come together. I felt for Fitz when he learnt that Molly was with Burrich, but I wasn't terribly surprised- I felt they were heading in that direction in book 2 when they started spending time together. It's a little uncomfortable to think about Burrich getting with his adopted son's girl but it didn't come entirely out of nowhere.
To me, the trilogy ended on a peak, but I couldn't sit through it again. I am interested in reading Liveship still (I really only read Farseer because Liveship seemed like something I'd want to read, and I don't like starting a series partway through), and I might continue with Fitz's story in the future (some of the unanswered questions are decently compelling) but I'm going to put down the series for a little while.
So, final thoughts: not a bad series, didn't think it lived up to the praise, but thanks to book 3 I don't feel like I wasted my time.
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