[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A slightly different take on Wonderland, with a highschooler cha[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A slightly different take on Wonderland, with a highschooler character instead of a little girl, and with Alice (and her brother) as contemporary young people. Not the usual Wonderland, but why not? The world had that delicious, in a nonsensical, atmosphere, with its inner "logics" that appears silly at first, yet also holds its own explanation when you think about it. That's something I had liked in Carroll's story: how much "wonder" is in fact governed by its own rules, if you care to dig deeper and have a look at them.
However, this novel didn't accomplish much in the end. It was more light-hearted than I had expected, and the dangers the characters had to face never felt really prominent. The Red Queen and her guards could've been much more of a threat, but never were. The action ended up being mostly Henry and Hatter wandering around (in dangerous areas that didn't feel as wonderful and at the same time dangerous as they did in the original novel), with a thin enough plot, all things considered. A bit of a twist after the second third, sure... and that was all.
I didn't care much for Henry either, who didn't seem to have much of a personality, and looked more the pouting teenager on the verge of throwing tantrums (at least the Red Queen's were to be expected). The mutual attraction between him and Hatter was cute, but... nothing more. Barely any character development here, and not the kind of relationship I thought I'd find here. It also hovered too much between actual romance and barely-touched-upon romance, which in turn made it a weird mix: either too much or not enough. As if, past some point, the novel couldn't decide whether to take things further or not.
A few brain farts as well when it came to the writing style: at times emulating the original tale's, at others much too close to spoken modern style. The clash between both wasn't very pleasant.
Conclusion: cute, fluffy, and a nice read if you don't want to think too much. While readable, it was nothing exceptional.
Merged review:
[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A slightly different take on Wonderland, with a highschooler character instead of a little girl, and with Alice (and her brother) as contemporary young people. Not the usual Wonderland, but why not? The world had that delicious, in a nonsensical, atmosphere, with its inner "logics" that appears silly at first, yet also holds its own explanation when you think about it. That's something I had liked in Carroll's story: how much "wonder" is in fact governed by its own rules, if you care to dig deeper and have a look at them.
However, this novel didn't accomplish much in the end. It was more light-hearted than I had expected, and the dangers the characters had to face never felt really prominent. The Red Queen and her guards could've been much more of a threat, but never were. The action ended up being mostly Henry and Hatter wandering around (in dangerous areas that didn't feel as wonderful and at the same time dangerous as they did in the original novel), with a thin enough plot, all things considered. A bit of a twist after the second third, sure... and that was all.
I didn't care much for Henry either, who didn't seem to have much of a personality, and looked more the pouting teenager on the verge of throwing tantrums (at least the Red Queen's were to be expected). The mutual attraction between him and Hatter was cute, but... nothing more. Barely any character development here, and not the kind of relationship I thought I'd find here. It also hovered too much between actual romance and barely-touched-upon romance, which in turn made it a weird mix: either too much or not enough. As if, past some point, the novel couldn't decide whether to take things further or not.
A few brain farts as well when it came to the writing style: at times emulating the original tale's, at others much too close to spoken modern style. The clash between both wasn't very pleasant.
Conclusion: cute, fluffy, and a nice read if you don't want to think too much. While readable, it was nothing exceptional....more
(I got a copy courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
3.5 stars, veering towards a 4.
Very graphic in parts, and not shying away from (I got a copy courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
3.5 stars, veering towards a 4.
Very graphic in parts, and not shying away from dealing with the darkest recesses of the human soul. This might turn off some people, so if depictions of child pornography rings, sex slaves and peep-show practices are something a reader doesn't want to read about, then better not pick up this novel. Personally, I found it fascinating in a trainwreck way: you can't help but watch, even though it's disgusting, and it makes you think about all those people, about depravity, about how low a human being can fall.
Rachel struck me as a resourceful young woman with guts, and overall smart enough to discover a lot on her own quickly enough to avoid falling down as well—because things seemed to move fast, and I have no doubt that once caught in such a spiral, every day spent in it would've made it harder and harder for her to go back, as well as to keep the peep show sessions and private parties to a "manageable" level. She was determined to find her sister at all costs; also, she cared about Achara, which was very humane. The one qualm I have with her is that the mistake that made everything speed up was, frankly, a pretty basic one, and I'm still wondering if she shouldn't have been able to avoid it, considering how savvy she was overall. But I'm not sure either (even though, when the first tell-tale sign occurred, I immediately thought "something's wrong here"), and I wouldn't consider that as "too stupid to live" syndrome in any case.
The main female characters in general did what they could with what they had. It may not have been much, but when they had an opportunity to do something (try to escape, help each other, try to hurt the culprit...), they seized it. That it worked or not didn't matter: they still tried, even though their trials were a very dire ones and they could've given up a long time ago. Each of them turned out strong in her own way, fighting until the end.
The plot itself moved at a fast enough pace, with a lot of suspense. Some events that appeared as strange actually made a lot of sense a couple of chapters later, and I liked how the author managed to "trap" me here the same way he did the characters. It was an interesting process to go through.
On the downside, I found the narrative a bit disjointed at times, as if it was trying to get faster to the next part, with the seams somewhat forgotten along the way. The writing style felt the same in a few places. Nothing terribly annoying, but still enough that I noticed it. I also wished it dealt more with Olivia's actions: what exactly happened to make her go from volunteering to the underworld? (Obviously she was in for the money for a reason I won't spoil, obviously she didn't choose to be picked by the Webmaster, and was no doubt abducted, but while we're given clear reasons about Rachel's behaviour leading her exactly in the same situation—she was investigating and looking for her sister, after all—Olivia's were more muddled. As if there was another, hiden reason that was never revealed. It may be a false impression on my part, only considering all the trouble Rachel went through, I definitely would've wanted to learn more.)
Merged review:
(I got a copy courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
3.5 stars, veering towards a 4.
Very graphic in parts, and not shying away from dealing with the darkest recesses of the human soul. This might turn off some people, so if depictions of child pornography rings, sex slaves and peep-show practices are something a reader doesn't want to read about, then better not pick up this novel. Personally, I found it fascinating in a trainwreck way: you can't help but watch, even though it's disgusting, and it makes you think about all those people, about depravity, about how low a human being can fall.
Rachel struck me as a resourceful young woman with guts, and overall smart enough to discover a lot on her own quickly enough to avoid falling down as well—because things seemed to move fast, and I have no doubt that once caught in such a spiral, every day spent in it would've made it harder and harder for her to go back, as well as to keep the peep show sessions and private parties to a "manageable" level. She was determined to find her sister at all costs; also, she cared about Achara, which was very humane. The one qualm I have with her is that the mistake that made everything speed up was, frankly, a pretty basic one, and I'm still wondering if she shouldn't have been able to avoid it, considering how savvy she was overall. But I'm not sure either (even though, when the first tell-tale sign occurred, I immediately thought "something's wrong here"), and I wouldn't consider that as "too stupid to live" syndrome in any case.
The main female characters in general did what they could with what they had. It may not have been much, but when they had an opportunity to do something (try to escape, help each other, try to hurt the culprit...), they seized it. That it worked or not didn't matter: they still tried, even though their trials were a very dire ones and they could've given up a long time ago. Each of them turned out strong in her own way, fighting until the end.
The plot itself moved at a fast enough pace, with a lot of suspense. Some events that appeared as strange actually made a lot of sense a couple of chapters later, and I liked how the author managed to "trap" me here the same way he did the characters. It was an interesting process to go through.
On the downside, I found the narrative a bit disjointed at times, as if it was trying to get faster to the next part, with the seams somewhat forgotten along the way. The writing style felt the same in a few places. Nothing terribly annoying, but still enough that I noticed it. I also wished it dealt more with Olivia's actions: what exactly happened to make her go from volunteering to the underworld? (Obviously she was in for the money for a reason I won't spoil, obviously she didn't choose to be picked by the Webmaster, and was no doubt abducted, but while we're given clear reasons about Rachel's behaviour leading her exactly in the same situation—she was investigating and looking for her sister, after all—Olivia's were more muddled. As if there was another, hiden reason that was never revealed. It may be a false impression on my part, only considering all the trouble Rachel went through, I definitely would've wanted to learn more.)...more
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A delightful novelette about a woman with the power to send herself (or others[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A delightful novelette about a woman with the power to send herself (or others) into scenes from books, complete with many references to many well-known works—although they aren't always directly named. The beginning and ending tie in a somewhat grave way, but there are also plenty of semi-comedic moments in between, from the parts of the narrative focused on Janet to the ones involvie Monie. Not to mention Mildred, who was somewhat annoying, yet with good sides as well.
The story is too short to involve lots of progressive character development. However, it manages to deal with quite a few questions in little time, especially when it comes to Janet's power and how it turns her life upside down. Of course, human nature is bound to ruin a lot of things. Of course, too, some people do manage to wake up, and realise that the dream has turned into a nightmare.
The various pot-shots at some books, at what "trash" is or isn't, made me smile, as well as reflect upon the value we bring to literature in general. For instance, the only vampire story allowed in here is Bram Stoker's, while romance also gets its share of "I refuse to send you in there, try this instead". While I would mostly agree with such judgments on those books, it still makes one wonder. As Mildred puts it, one's man trash is another's treasure...
Somehow, I wish this had been longer. Nonetheless, this book was very pleasant and enjoyable to read. 3.5 stars.
Merged review:
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A delightful novelette about a woman with the power to send herself (or others) into scenes from books, complete with many references to many well-known works—although they aren't always directly named. The beginning and ending tie in a somewhat grave way, but there are also plenty of semi-comedic moments in between, from the parts of the narrative focused on Janet to the ones involvie Monie. Not to mention Mildred, who was somewhat annoying, yet with good sides as well.
The story is too short to involve lots of progressive character development. However, it manages to deal with quite a few questions in little time, especially when it comes to Janet's power and how it turns her life upside down. Of course, human nature is bound to ruin a lot of things. Of course, too, some people do manage to wake up, and realise that the dream has turned into a nightmare.
The various pot-shots at some books, at what "trash" is or isn't, made me smile, as well as reflect upon the value we bring to literature in general. For instance, the only vampire story allowed in here is Bram Stoker's, while romance also gets its share of "I refuse to send you in there, try this instead". While I would mostly agree with such judgments on those books, it still makes one wonder. As Mildred puts it, one's man trash is another's treasure...
Somehow, I wish this had been longer. Nonetheless, this book was very pleasant and enjoyable to read. 3.5 stars....more
(I received a free copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. However, at the time, it was an ARC, so some things may have changed.)
Thi(I received a free copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. However, at the time, it was an ARC, so some things may have changed.)
This is an extremely frustrating book to rate, because I cannot decide whether I actually liked it, or only liked parts of it, with the rest being OK, and nothing more. I’ve mulled over this for some time (since the previous evening, in fact, which is when I finished reading the book), and I haven’t come closer to a conclusion.
What I liked:
- The use of lesser known figures from Norse mythology (or, should I say, of figures that are less often mentioned and would deserve more spotlight). Everybody’s heard of Loki and Odin, and probably Baldr as well, but what about the others? This is both a strong and a weak point of this novel: if you know enough, it’s going to be alright, yet if you don’t, you’ll probably have to look up quite a few things (including places).
- The relationship: it was much closer to “two people falling in love” than to “two gay guys falling in love”. Sigmund displays both “male” and “female” traits—he comes across as “human” first and foremost. Lain isn’t even human to start with. And it doesn’t matter, and the fact that it doesn’t matter is what makes this great. I’m not a gender-driven person. I consider people as, well, “people”, not as “men” and “women”. Although the story comes close to brushing on sexuality issues at some point, with Sigmund’s father mentioning how he tried to react to his son “being gay”, it doesn’t go too far down this road. At the end of the journey, it’s about two individuals having feelings for each other, period. (The part about the reincarnated soul didn’t feel like it warped the character towards being female.)
- The Bleed concept. Not exactly original, but hey, I’m a sucker for plot devices that make the protagonist(s) fall into some nightmarish version of their world. Yes, I played Silent Hill. There’s a reason I like that type of horror-driven story.
What I disliked:
- The subverted tropes that weren’t so subverted in the end, such as the geeky characters. They felt like they were supposed to look like the stereotypical nerds, but wait, not exactly, because they meta it by cracking jokes at themselves, but by doing this they’re becoming the stereotype again, and… At some point, it was a bit too much. It may have worked for me if dealt with in a different way; unfortunately, it didn’t.
- The novel felt too long in parts, too meandering through useless happenings: gaming, the camping trip, etc. They made it read more like fanfiction, and I think they could’ve been shortened without their role in the story being lost along the way. Those parts were probably the reason why it took me so long to read Liesmith—normally, I should’ve been done in 3-4 days.
- Among such scenes were several of the romance ones. Granted, I find getting those right always tricky and difficult. Here, some were good, but others veered towards the mushy side, and contributed to that “fanfiction” aspect I mentioned above.
- Sometimes, the writing style was rather weird, with a connection made between two clauses using an italicised “([insert word])” device. However, sometimes it highlighted something that wasn’t so relevant, and it made me wonder what was the point.
- Sigmund’s friends. Their role didn’t seem so important, and made me wonder why they were here. Either they could’ve been downplayed, or should’ve been fleshed out some more. In my opinion, they kind of hung in between. (This is worth for many characters in general in this story. Sigmund was the only one that felt “real”.)
And after writing this review, I still can’t decide if I liked it, if I’d recommend it... Let’s say that on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give it a wee 5, an “it’s OK” as far as opinion goes, and a “maybe” as to whether I’d recommend it or not.
Merged review:
(I received a free copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. However, at the time, it was an ARC, so some things may have changed.)
This is an extremely frustrating book to rate, because I cannot decide whether I actually liked it, or only liked parts of it, with the rest being OK, and nothing more. I’ve mulled over this for some time (since the previous evening, in fact, which is when I finished reading the book), and I haven’t come closer to a conclusion.
What I liked:
- The use of lesser known figures from Norse mythology (or, should I say, of figures that are less often mentioned and would deserve more spotlight). Everybody’s heard of Loki and Odin, and probably Baldr as well, but what about the others? This is both a strong and a weak point of this novel: if you know enough, it’s going to be alright, yet if you don’t, you’ll probably have to look up quite a few things (including places).
- The relationship: it was much closer to “two people falling in love” than to “two gay guys falling in love”. Sigmund displays both “male” and “female” traits—he comes across as “human” first and foremost. Lain isn’t even human to start with. And it doesn’t matter, and the fact that it doesn’t matter is what makes this great. I’m not a gender-driven person. I consider people as, well, “people”, not as “men” and “women”. Although the story comes close to brushing on sexuality issues at some point, with Sigmund’s father mentioning how he tried to react to his son “being gay”, it doesn’t go too far down this road. At the end of the journey, it’s about two individuals having feelings for each other, period. (The part about the reincarnated soul didn’t feel like it warped the character towards being female.)
- The Bleed concept. Not exactly original, but hey, I’m a sucker for plot devices that make the protagonist(s) fall into some nightmarish version of their world. Yes, I played Silent Hill. There’s a reason I like that type of horror-driven story.
What I disliked:
- The subverted tropes that weren’t so subverted in the end, such as the geeky characters. They felt like they were supposed to look like the stereotypical nerds, but wait, not exactly, because they meta it by cracking jokes at themselves, but by doing this they’re becoming the stereotype again, and… At some point, it was a bit too much. It may have worked for me if dealt with in a different way; unfortunately, it didn’t.
- The novel felt too long in parts, too meandering through useless happenings: gaming, the camping trip, etc. They made it read more like fanfiction, and I think they could’ve been shortened without their role in the story being lost along the way. Those parts were probably the reason why it took me so long to read Liesmith—normally, I should’ve been done in 3-4 days.
- Among such scenes were several of the romance ones. Granted, I find getting those right always tricky and difficult. Here, some were good, but others veered towards the mushy side, and contributed to that “fanfiction” aspect I mentioned above.
- Sometimes, the writing style was rather weird, with a connection made between two clauses using an italicised “([insert word])” device. However, sometimes it highlighted something that wasn’t so relevant, and it made me wonder what was the point.
- Sigmund’s friends. Their role didn’t seem so important, and made me wonder why they were here. Either they could’ve been downplayed, or should’ve been fleshed out some more. In my opinion, they kind of hung in between. (This is worth for many characters in general in this story. Sigmund was the only one that felt “real”.)
And after writing this review, I still can’t decide if I liked it, if I’d recommend it... Let’s say that on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give it a wee 5, an “it’s OK” as far as opinion goes, and a “maybe” as to whether I’d recommend it or not....more
[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Not exactly a novel, as it's the first episode of a serials, con[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Not exactly a novel, as it's the first episode of a serials, containing chapters 1 to 3. Which makes it a bit frustrating, as in, obviously, at some point one wants to know how it goes next. Fortunately, a lot of episodes are already out at serialbox.com
It introduces the major, or at least some of the major players (there may always be new ones in later chapters, after all) of a Cold War fought behind the Iron Curtain, but also behind other front lines, ones that not necessarily follow the former... Which makes, and is hopefully going to make, interesting conundrums as far as the characters are concerned: two people may be on the USSR side as far as their mundane lives go, but one is fighting for the Ice while the other is fighting for the Fire when it comes to magic. This cannot go well, can it?
On the side of Ice, and incidentally of the KGB, Tanya and Nadia are seeking a Prague student whose affinity for magic makes her a target for the Fire. Meanwhile, Gabe, a CIA agent, is trying to do his job while struggling with a little magical problem of his own, that may or may not demand he joins Ice in the end (it'd be that or dying, I suppose). The Fire players are honing their weapons, and independent players are also introduced—not everyone wants to join one side, but can they really remain independent, or will they be terminated at some point?
This first installment was sometimes a bit rough on the edges (some parts veered on mixing points of view—though the Kindle formatting didn't help in that regard, and it was a bit less problematic in the PDF I got). However, as far as introducing characters and setting, this was definitely intriguing, and I'm of a mind to get all the episodes once they're out. Hopefully in a couple of weeks?
Merged review:
[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Not exactly a novel, as it's the first episode of a serials, containing chapters 1 to 3. Which makes it a bit frustrating, as in, obviously, at some point one wants to know how it goes next. Fortunately, a lot of episodes are already out at serialbox.com
It introduces the major, or at least some of the major players (there may always be new ones in later chapters, after all) of a Cold War fought behind the Iron Curtain, but also behind other front lines, ones that not necessarily follow the former... Which makes, and is hopefully going to make, interesting conundrums as far as the characters are concerned: two people may be on the USSR side as far as their mundane lives go, but one is fighting for the Ice while the other is fighting for the Fire when it comes to magic. This cannot go well, can it?
On the side of Ice, and incidentally of the KGB, Tanya and Nadia are seeking a Prague student whose affinity for magic makes her a target for the Fire. Meanwhile, Gabe, a CIA agent, is trying to do his job while struggling with a little magical problem of his own, that may or may not demand he joins Ice in the end (it'd be that or dying, I suppose). The Fire players are honing their weapons, and independent players are also introduced—not everyone wants to join one side, but can they really remain independent, or will they be terminated at some point?
This first installment was sometimes a bit rough on the edges (some parts veered on mixing points of view—though the Kindle formatting didn't help in that regard, and it was a bit less problematic in the PDF I got). However, as far as introducing characters and setting, this was definitely intriguing, and I'm of a mind to get all the episodes once they're out. Hopefully in a couple of weeks?...more
(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Banshee at the Gate: 2 to 2.5* + Interesting in terms of mythological content, es(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Banshee at the Gate: 2 to 2.5* + Interesting in terms of mythological content, especially as banshees aren't so often featured. + Nice and heart-warming relationship between Seven and Haran, and fun dynamics between them and their allies. + No stupid love interest out of nowhere, for a change. This is meant to be adventure, and adventure we get. - Confusing in how Atlantis was tackled in the beginning, presented as something obvious all the characters know about; I felt like there was a previous story I had missed. Perhaps I did. - Villains too easy to get rid of in my opinion. Coming into banshee powers too easy as well. - Plot sometimes a bit silly.
>> So far this reads definitely more like children/middle grade than truly young adult—I wouldn't recommend it to readers above 12-13 (Seven, the protagonist, is 13, too).
Guardians of the Gate: 2* + Merfolk with a strong backstory of friendship and loyalty. Again, no useless romance. + Wily Leprechaun and good lessons about "careful what you wish for (and how you wish for it)". + More info about the other ancient races (Giants, Dragons). + Ties into the first book. - Plot dragged in parts and I found myself skimming at times. - Adults shown as idiots who can't/won't do anything to help, which is too often the case in books, and isn't believable. - Lack of consequences (shouldn't the villains try to act against the young heroes by now?). - Some more ties with the first book would've been appreciated, especially at the end of this one.
>> Confirming this is definitely for kids, and not YA.
Secrets of the Mine: 2.5 to 3* + The kelpie. I liked reading about him. + Archaeology and finding forgotten civilisations. + Antagonistic characters that learn to cooperate. - Slightly annoying characters (childish instant dislike). - The writing wasn't too exciting.
Magicians of the Deep: 1* + Learning more about Indiatlantis. + The way magical creatures are actually affected by the portals closing one after the other. - Seems to be for an even younger target audience. - Too much telling. - More pronounced than in Book 2: how much Atlantis is like our (Anglo-Saxon) world: school, malls... Why couldn't it be more different, as mysterious as it's supposed to be? - Repetitive crossovers with book 2. - Callous characters (the Laytons seem like a nice enough family, at least the parents, but Colin just doesn't seem to care? Also what he learns about his family later was dropped like a brick. - This particular book jumped from one thing to the other (for instance, discussing an important matter, then suddenly, "anyway, let's go to the mall"). It reminded me of how I'd sometimes play when I was younger, but in terms of plot and writing, it didn't sit well at all with me. To be honest, I'm really not sure I would've liked reading this as a kid.
Madness behind the throne: 3.5*, possibly 4*
+ More mature characters, possibly because Callidora is an adult, but also because Phoibos even as a child kinds of grows up fast. + Political intrigue that is easy to understand for younger readers. + The stakes do seem more dangerous here than in the previous books + Though the "bad guy" has no excuses, we're also shown what contributed to shape his vision/madness. + Atlantis shown as technologically advanced (computers in the age of Plato), while still being different—more magic, less malls and 20th-century-like American names. + Hints about who Phoibos really is - ...Though they make it fairly obvious to guess what his secret is (or not? We'll see...) - A few of the adult characters (the king, Lisandra) are somewhat childish. - The relationship between Callidora and Titanos progressed so fast (although Calli does acknowledge that she doesn't know herself why that was, and that it didn't make sense). - Atlantian years being 100 human years, reconciling both was a bit hard (considering what happened in the previous books, it feels like Phoibos took his sweet time to get to closing the doors, when it was described first as it happening within a mere few days).
>> So far, definitely the one I preferred in the series, because it deals with more political themes and shows more of the other side of the conflict, all this in a way that is easy to grasp by middle-grade readers without being dumbed down.
Battle for Acropolis: 3*
+ Everything comes together and without a repeat this time, since it's the direct follow-up to previous books' events. + Hattie was adorable. + Surprises that were predictable, but in a good way (you know they're coming, yet you're happy to see them coming, and happy when they're finally here). The "finding the grandma" part definitely made me smile: expected, but cute. - Some characters got discarded pretty quickly, and didn't feel as regretted as they should've been. - Villain decay at the end—not as epic an ending as I had expected.
>> Enjoyable throughout, although the finale felt somewhat flat.
Conclusion:
2.5/3 stars overall. It was OK for me as a light reading (2/2.5 stars), but I think a middle-grade audience would enjoy it more, hence my higher rating in the end—after all, I'm not really the targetted readership.
On the plus side, the relationships between the characters in general rang true. The creatures that appear in the novels are a good introduction to mythology in general, even if other series dive into this more deeply (Percy Jackson, for instance): Irish (banshees), mermaids, dragons, nymphs...
On the downside, Atlantis itself often felt too much like your average contemporary setting (high school, mall, etc.). Not saying I wanted to see only guys in togas living like in Grecian antiquity—and this setting makes it easy for kids to find their marks—but I expected something more different, not a copy of our modern world (I'm positive young readers wouldn't mind, and wouldn't have a hard time to embrace it either).
Merged review:
(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Banshee at the Gate: 2 to 2.5* + Interesting in terms of mythological content, especially as banshees aren't so often featured. + Nice and heart-warming relationship between Seven and Haran, and fun dynamics between them and their allies. + No stupid love interest out of nowhere, for a change. This is meant to be adventure, and adventure we get. - Confusing in how Atlantis was tackled in the beginning, presented as something obvious all the characters know about; I felt like there was a previous story I had missed. Perhaps I did. - Villains too easy to get rid of in my opinion. Coming into banshee powers too easy as well. - Plot sometimes a bit silly.
>> So far this reads definitely more like children/middle grade than truly young adult—I wouldn't recommend it to readers above 12-13 (Seven, the protagonist, is 13, too).
Guardians of the Gate: 2* + Merfolk with a strong backstory of friendship and loyalty. Again, no useless romance. + Wily Leprechaun and good lessons about "careful what you wish for (and how you wish for it)". + More info about the other ancient races (Giants, Dragons). + Ties into the first book. - Plot dragged in parts and I found myself skimming at times. - Adults shown as idiots who can't/won't do anything to help, which is too often the case in books, and isn't believable. - Lack of consequences (shouldn't the villains try to act against the young heroes by now?). - Some more ties with the first book would've been appreciated, especially at the end of this one.
>> Confirming this is definitely for kids, and not YA.
Secrets of the Mine: 2.5 to 3* + The kelpie. I liked reading about him. + Archaeology and finding forgotten civilisations. + Antagonistic characters that learn to cooperate. - Slightly annoying characters (childish instant dislike). - The writing wasn't too exciting.
Magicians of the Deep: 1* + Learning more about Indiatlantis. + The way magical creatures are actually affected by the portals closing one after the other. - Seems to be for an even younger target audience. - Too much telling. - More pronounced than in Book 2: how much Atlantis is like our (Anglo-Saxon) world: school, malls... Why couldn't it be more different, as mysterious as it's supposed to be? - Repetitive crossovers with book 2. - Callous characters (the Laytons seem like a nice enough family, at least the parents, but Colin just doesn't seem to care? Also what he learns about his family later was dropped like a brick. - This particular book jumped from one thing to the other (for instance, discussing an important matter, then suddenly, "anyway, let's go to the mall"). It reminded me of how I'd sometimes play when I was younger, but in terms of plot and writing, it didn't sit well at all with me. To be honest, I'm really not sure I would've liked reading this as a kid.
Madness behind the throne: 3.5*, possibly 4*
+ More mature characters, possibly because Callidora is an adult, but also because Phoibos even as a child kinds of grows up fast. + Political intrigue that is easy to understand for younger readers. + The stakes do seem more dangerous here than in the previous books + Though the "bad guy" has no excuses, we're also shown what contributed to shape his vision/madness. + Atlantis shown as technologically advanced (computers in the age of Plato), while still being different—more magic, less malls and 20th-century-like American names. + Hints about who Phoibos really is - ...Though they make it fairly obvious to guess what his secret is (or not? We'll see...) - A few of the adult characters (the king, Lisandra) are somewhat childish. - The relationship between Callidora and Titanos progressed so fast (although Calli does acknowledge that she doesn't know herself why that was, and that it didn't make sense). - Atlantian years being 100 human years, reconciling both was a bit hard (considering what happened in the previous books, it feels like Phoibos took his sweet time to get to closing the doors, when it was described first as it happening within a mere few days).
>> So far, definitely the one I preferred in the series, because it deals with more political themes and shows more of the other side of the conflict, all this in a way that is easy to grasp by middle-grade readers without being dumbed down.
Battle for Acropolis: 3*
+ Everything comes together and without a repeat this time, since it's the direct follow-up to previous books' events. + Hattie was adorable. + Surprises that were predictable, but in a good way (you know they're coming, yet you're happy to see them coming, and happy when they're finally here). The "finding the grandma" part definitely made me smile: expected, but cute. - Some characters got discarded pretty quickly, and didn't feel as regretted as they should've been. - Villain decay at the end—not as epic an ending as I had expected.
>> Enjoyable throughout, although the finale felt somewhat flat.
Conclusion:
2.5/3 stars overall. It was OK for me as a light reading (2/2.5 stars), but I think a middle-grade audience would enjoy it more, hence my higher rating in the end—after all, I'm not really the targetted readership.
On the plus side, the relationships between the characters in general rang true. The creatures that appear in the novels are a good introduction to mythology in general, even if other series dive into this more deeply (Percy Jackson, for instance): Irish (banshees), mermaids, dragons, nymphs...
On the downside, Atlantis itself often felt too much like your average contemporary setting (high school, mall, etc.). Not saying I wanted to see only guys in togas living like in Grecian antiquity—and this setting makes it easy for kids to find their marks—but I expected something more different, not a copy of our modern world (I'm positive young readers wouldn't mind, and wouldn't have a hard time to embrace it either)....more
[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
What I liked:
- The beginning. Of course, you can tell immediately where this is going, and that the[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
What I liked:
- The beginning. Of course, you can tell immediately where this is going, and that there’s going to be another proposal to offset the bad news, and you can guess what that proposal will be, but it’s OK because it’s why you’re reading the book. Well, why I was reading it, at any rate.
- Some aspects of the world building, with the idea of trained people going back in time to record events, and having to follow specific rules to avoid creating paradoxes. It makes a lot of sense, since the ‘grandfather paradox’ is definitely not the only risk in such a setting: it’s obvious that you wouldn’t want to kill your own grandfather if you hope to be born someday… but it’s much less obvious that even ‘small’ actions like gambling in a casino can have consequences, for instance by preventing the ‘normal’ winner from winning, in turn preventing them from doing things that should normally have happened, and so on. The most noticeable actions aren’t the only ones that can change the world.
- The crew’s dynamics. I have a soft spot for heist stories carried by a crew (ship, spaceship, band of misfits, whatever), and when the latter works well together, it’s even better. In itself¸ this part wasn’t the most exceptional ever, but I could feel the ties uniting them, and that was good.
- Diversity. Priya is obviously of Indian origin, Gram is dark-skinned, and Far also has inherited a darker complexion from his father. It’s not mentioned more than once or twice, but it’s good to see.
- The book was entertaining, I wanted to know how the story would go (good thing I’ve been on sick leave and with time on my hands to rush through it, huh), and in general the action and tension scenes were gripping.
What I didn’t like so much:
- The romance. I’m not particularly keen on romance in general, for starters— in my experience 90% of such subplots, when they happen in stories whose main genre is not romance, are there because it’s what people (or the market, or publishing houses, I’m never really sure) expect. As a result, the romance feels forced, and that’s the feeling I got here. I didn’t particularly care about Imogen having a crush, all the more since it led to some screen time being used up for conversations about boys and should-I-oh-no-I-don’t-dare. As for the romance between Far and Priya, it was announced very suddenly, its beginnings happened off-scene, and I never felt any real chemistry between these two. In a story revolving around an all-for-one type of crew, friendship all the way would’ve worked better for me.
- The lull mid-book, the part where they go to Las Vegas. Partly because of the romance-related conversations, partly because I wanted to shout ‘Seriously, characters, is partying and getting drunk the best you can do right now?’
- Some other aspects of the world building. Yes, I know I partially liked it. However, some elements were there for… no reason? Example: How can Priya be 17-18 and already a full-fledged medic, with mechanic skills to boot? When did she got time to learn all that? Or why do they eat synthetic food, why is ice cream so expensive? I felt the latter points were here to give a ‘science-fictiony’ sheen, but without explanations about why the world came to be like that, I can never fully buy it. (I’m not asking for a treaty about 24th century economics, but at least a couple of lines about the whys would be nice.)
- Part of the plot when it comes to Eliot’s involvement. First, it’d have been good to see a couple of successful heists before she appeared, so that the disruption she created would be even stronger. Second, the true reason for her presence is somewhat complicated, and may have worked better with a little more development. An example of what I felt rushed with that is how easily an antagonist character convinces other antagonist characters to work with him, towards the end, in order to stop her; it happened very quickly, wasn’t very convincing, and anyway, why didn’t he enlist his own after that, to add a strike force he could fully control? (Side note: I found the names they used very confusing. I could deal with the endings, like FLT6, but the whole strings of numbers in the middle… I kept trying to imagine the conversation with Eliot speaking these numbers, and I’m surprised she didn’t make a mistake every two sentences when using those.)
- The characters, outside of their role as a group. As a crew, I thought they functioned together well; but as individuals, they felt flatter. They have their quirks, sure (Imogen dying her hair, Gram and his games), but quirks don’t make a full-fledged character. I didn’t really like Far, he had too much of the ‘strong ego/insufferable’ vibe without enough of the ‘dashing captain/charisma’ vibe, so to speak. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of Gram, for some reason I liked him best.
Conclusion: Cool concepts, with good action scenes. The book was an entertaining read, although it failed in other parts.
Merged review:
[I received a copy of this book through Netgalley.]
What I liked:
- The beginning. Of course, you can tell immediately where this is going, and that there’s going to be another proposal to offset the bad news, and you can guess what that proposal will be, but it’s OK because it’s why you’re reading the book. Well, why I was reading it, at any rate.
- Some aspects of the world building, with the idea of trained people going back in time to record events, and having to follow specific rules to avoid creating paradoxes. It makes a lot of sense, since the ‘grandfather paradox’ is definitely not the only risk in such a setting: it’s obvious that you wouldn’t want to kill your own grandfather if you hope to be born someday… but it’s much less obvious that even ‘small’ actions like gambling in a casino can have consequences, for instance by preventing the ‘normal’ winner from winning, in turn preventing them from doing things that should normally have happened, and so on. The most noticeable actions aren’t the only ones that can change the world.
- The crew’s dynamics. I have a soft spot for heist stories carried by a crew (ship, spaceship, band of misfits, whatever), and when the latter works well together, it’s even better. In itself¸ this part wasn’t the most exceptional ever, but I could feel the ties uniting them, and that was good.
- Diversity. Priya is obviously of Indian origin, Gram is dark-skinned, and Far also has inherited a darker complexion from his father. It’s not mentioned more than once or twice, but it’s good to see.
- The book was entertaining, I wanted to know how the story would go (good thing I’ve been on sick leave and with time on my hands to rush through it, huh), and in general the action and tension scenes were gripping.
What I didn’t like so much:
- The romance. I’m not particularly keen on romance in general, for starters— in my experience 90% of such subplots, when they happen in stories whose main genre is not romance, are there because it’s what people (or the market, or publishing houses, I’m never really sure) expect. As a result, the romance feels forced, and that’s the feeling I got here. I didn’t particularly care about Imogen having a crush, all the more since it led to some screen time being used up for conversations about boys and should-I-oh-no-I-don’t-dare. As for the romance between Far and Priya, it was announced very suddenly, its beginnings happened off-scene, and I never felt any real chemistry between these two. In a story revolving around an all-for-one type of crew, friendship all the way would’ve worked better for me.
- The lull mid-book, the part where they go to Las Vegas. Partly because of the romance-related conversations, partly because I wanted to shout ‘Seriously, characters, is partying and getting drunk the best you can do right now?’
- Some other aspects of the world building. Yes, I know I partially liked it. However, some elements were there for… no reason? Example: How can Priya be 17-18 and already a full-fledged medic, with mechanic skills to boot? When did she got time to learn all that? Or why do they eat synthetic food, why is ice cream so expensive? I felt the latter points were here to give a ‘science-fictiony’ sheen, but without explanations about why the world came to be like that, I can never fully buy it. (I’m not asking for a treaty about 24th century economics, but at least a couple of lines about the whys would be nice.)
- Part of the plot when it comes to Eliot’s involvement. First, it’d have been good to see a couple of successful heists before she appeared, so that the disruption she created would be even stronger. Second, the true reason for her presence is somewhat complicated, and may have worked better with a little more development. An example of what I felt rushed with that is how easily an antagonist character convinces other antagonist characters to work with him, towards the end, in order to stop her; it happened very quickly, wasn’t very convincing, and anyway, why didn’t he enlist his own after that, to add a strike force he could fully control? (Side note: I found the names they used very confusing. I could deal with the endings, like FLT6, but the whole strings of numbers in the middle… I kept trying to imagine the conversation with Eliot speaking these numbers, and I’m surprised she didn’t make a mistake every two sentences when using those.)
- The characters, outside of their role as a group. As a crew, I thought they functioned together well; but as individuals, they felt flatter. They have their quirks, sure (Imogen dying her hair, Gram and his games), but quirks don’t make a full-fledged character. I didn’t really like Far, he had too much of the ‘strong ego/insufferable’ vibe without enough of the ‘dashing captain/charisma’ vibe, so to speak. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of Gram, for some reason I liked him best.
Conclusion: Cool concepts, with good action scenes. The book was an entertaining read, although it failed in other parts....more
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A collection of essays by and about nonbinary authors. (Incidentally, July 14 [I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A collection of essays by and about nonbinary authors. (Incidentally, July 14 is International Nonbinary People's day, so I guess this review comes at just about the right time.) There’s more than just “either man or woman”, and I wish this was more understood, all the more because I have a hard time with the current of hostility exhibited by some people whenever they can’t put others in neat little boxes (doesn’t only apply to gender, but the latter is a definitely a sore spot).
The essays range across a variety of people and assigned genders, and show well that “nonbinary” is not something that only “happens” in specific places, or to specific people. There’s too often a tendency to see all things enby or trans as a “phase”, as something that people should “grow out of”. Here, not all authors are younger people who may be called “too young to know” and who will “stop being confused and change their minds”, the way the usual narrative goes whenever the two little boxes I mentioned above cannot be ticked. Half the authors are at least in their 30s, or even born in the 1950s-60, which goes to show that it’s not a generation thing. The same way, “non-binary” is too often seen as “assigned female as birth who now presents as androgyne”, when the truth is that this concerns many other kinds of people, across all ages, origins, colour and sexuality.
It was really interesting for me to see how all these authors came to understand they were nonbinary. For some, it was obvious very early, others had more trouble putting a name on it, or thought they were looking for transition, and so on. We are formatted from a very young age to see ourselves as either boy or girl, and this formatting can have a strong impact, in that it’s not so easy to sort out what we feel, and the spectre of “having to be normal” weighs heavily. Because you don’t feel like a boy doesn’t mean you’re a cis girl, and conversely. And more visibility (and less dismissal) in general for nonbinary people would be a welcome thing.
In terms of diversity, the one thing I regret here is that it felt like a very US-centric collection, so it doesn’t shed light about what being non-binary may entail in other parts of the world. Maybe it wasn’t possible to get authors from other countries, or maybe it was overlooked? I was also not too thrilled with the chapter told by the parent of a nonbinary teen; I would’ve been more interested in having the direct point of view of Bailey themselves as well, also as someone with the perspective of a teenager.
Merged review:
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A collection of essays by and about nonbinary authors. (Incidentally, July 14 is International Nonbinary People's day, so I guess this review comes at just about the right time.) There’s more than just “either man or woman”, and I wish this was more understood, all the more because I have a hard time with the current of hostility exhibited by some people whenever they can’t put others in neat little boxes (doesn’t only apply to gender, but the latter is a definitely a sore spot).
The essays range across a variety of people and assigned genders, and show well that “nonbinary” is not something that only “happens” in specific places, or to specific people. There’s too often a tendency to see all things enby or trans as a “phase”, as something that people should “grow out of”. Here, not all authors are younger people who may be called “too young to know” and who will “stop being confused and change their minds”, the way the usual narrative goes whenever the two little boxes I mentioned above cannot be ticked. Half the authors are at least in their 30s, or even born in the 1950s-60, which goes to show that it’s not a generation thing. The same way, “non-binary” is too often seen as “assigned female as birth who now presents as androgyne”, when the truth is that this concerns many other kinds of people, across all ages, origins, colour and sexuality.
It was really interesting for me to see how all these authors came to understand they were nonbinary. For some, it was obvious very early, others had more trouble putting a name on it, or thought they were looking for transition, and so on. We are formatted from a very young age to see ourselves as either boy or girl, and this formatting can have a strong impact, in that it’s not so easy to sort out what we feel, and the spectre of “having to be normal” weighs heavily. Because you don’t feel like a boy doesn’t mean you’re a cis girl, and conversely. And more visibility (and less dismissal) in general for nonbinary people would be a welcome thing.
In terms of diversity, the one thing I regret here is that it felt like a very US-centric collection, so it doesn’t shed light about what being non-binary may entail in other parts of the world. Maybe it wasn’t possible to get authors from other countries, or maybe it was overlooked? I was also not too thrilled with the chapter told by the parent of a nonbinary teen; I would’ve been more interested in having the direct point of view of Bailey themselves as well, also as someone with the perspective of a teenager....more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I actually received an ARC of this book a couple of years ago, bu[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I actually received an ARC of this book a couple of years ago, but didn’t get to read it until, well, much more recently. That said, I didn’t notice any particular “artefacts” that would pointed to a review-copy-full-of-typos of anything of that kind, the book read just like what I expect the published version to be.
This was a fairly interesting account of the beginnings of a psychologist’s career in a prison, more specifically within a program geared towards sex offenders. Interesting, but also on the difficult side, precisely because of the type of work and the people it described. I’ve always found sex offenders specifically to be a very tricky subject: cases of rape are already hard enough, but when the whole thing is perpetrated on children on top of it, it reaches into even deeper recesses. In this way, the work of psychologists/medical personnel to try and understand and figure out if yes or not “something can be done” for the offenders is also tricky. Are these people truly evil? Are they sick, and if they can, can they be cured? If someone has offended once but then never offends again once in prison and then out of it, should they be stigmatised forever (which could be justified… or just as well lead to self-fulfilling prophecies where leaving them alone may have kept them on the straight path)? Or should they be given a second chance—but then, if they’re on the way to offending again, it’s akin to letting the fox inside the henhouse… All very, very tricky, and a very touchy subject indeed.
All the more because, here, it seems that the program didn’t help much in the end. And yet the author still wanted to share her experience, her findings, what happened, because the experience itself is worth recounting nonetheless.
Also, I’m usually not super keen when memoirs and true crime books include too much of the author’s personal life, because the latter can easily veer into being distracting. However, in this specific case, the parts about her own life were just as interesting. Notwithstanding the pressure and the impact dealing with sexual offenders can have on one’s psyche (especially as a young woman on her first job, with all the usual “surely she’s incompetent” that pop up in pretty much every job and sounded even worse in those circumstances), there were also some personal elements that could’ve… gone very wrong for her, as a sort of dark mirror of the people her job was concerned with. Both parts tied with each other, and I won’t lie, but there were a few moments when I was afraid something really bad would happen to her.
Conclusion: a bit of an unusual read for me in terms of what I’ll still loosely consider as “true crime”, and one that was quite hard at times—but also quite interesting....more
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Dreams in general fascinate me. Not so much the typical "meaning of dreams" ap[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Dreams in general fascinate me. Not so much the typical "meaning of dreams" approach, where if you dream about X then supposedly it means Y, but the whole subject: we all dream, dreams are as old as humanity, and yet, like with sleep in general, they're something so trivial but at the same time so elusive, not fully understood yet. (My own dreams are also pretty much of the WTF kind most of the time, and it is fascinating in its own way.)
The author explores some theories about why we dream here, also from an approach as a neurosurgeon. I enjoyed especially the part about nightmares, how it seems that very young children don't have them, but they actually start when children really get deep into building their own sense of self: nightmares as "the Other/the Threat vs. the Self", in a way for our brains to establish who we are? I can sense so many possibilities for stories here, too.
Another part I enjoyed was the different roles of the Executive Network and the Imagination Network. Most of my past, older traditional reading about dreams tended to put them in the "information processing" category, with their being some jumble of whatever we experienced during the day, and in a way I think this is also part of it anyway (at least, I do regularly find elements of my current work or personal life projects in my dreams!); but this other approach was more novel to me, and made a lot more sense when explained.
I think I may have liked seeing a few more case studies, but overall I really enjoyed this....more
[I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
This book was pretty interesting, with just the right d[I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
This book was pretty interesting, with just the right dose of humour for me: with a dash of fun, but without detracting from the topic itself which, all in all, is quite serious. It's nothing academic, stemming instead from the author's personal dabbling with Twitter and other online endeavours, and deciding at some point to make fun of the scammers (why not get a laugh out of them, after all) and, from there, to see if she could engage some of them into revealing more about their motives and their methods.
In a way, it was nothing really new to me (I've been a follower for years of several YouTube channels, including Sandoz, about various online scams, so most romance-based types of fraud is something I understand well enough now). Still, it provided an entertaining read, and, more important, it could be of real value to someone who has just started to get interested in this, and needs to learn the "basics", so to speak.
The book also emphasises how it's not about being "too naive" or "too stupid" (you know, the typical victim blaming our societies like to indulge in--I wonder if the same people who say that would also call themselves stupid for allowing themselves to be mugged in the street). You can be a police officer or with a whole life of romantic relationships and experience behind you, and still have a blind spot. Indeed, it is very easy to think that from our little corner of safety, when we're not confronted to it ourselves, sure... but no one is ever completely immune to having a bad spell, a tense period in their life when they could do with a friendly and/or romantic shoulder... and scammers of all kinds are very, very talented when it comes to smelling a prey and pounce on it, insinuating themselves into the chinks in the armor. (People saying "this will never happen to ME because I'm too smart": good for them if their lives are so perfect that they never find themselves in a spot where they could become vulnerable... but, nope, it's still not about being smart. Also, let's not become complacent, that's how we also become easier to manipulate.)
I would've liked the book to devote a little more room to scammers' circumstances as well, though, especially when it comes to South Asia: there is a real dimension of human trafficking going on as well (people getting lured into "scammers' compounds" on the false pretense of a genuine job, and finding themselves held there against their will, literally enslaved and forced to scam others online for fear of being beaten, or worse). It's not all black or all white here. But I guess this is a good topic for another book, after all....more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Quite an interesting memoir in many ways, from an ex-trader whom [I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Quite an interesting memoir in many ways, from an ex-trader whom a lot of people must have seen as an unlikely candidate for such a job (or, at least, I bet a lot of people would expect traders to come from a more specific pool with families closely related to financial matters, for instance).
Gary Stevenson worked at Citi for a few years after university, and managed to find his place there… or did he? For not everything was so peachy, even though he made money and things looked, for all intents and purposes, as if they were going the right way… for him, not necessarily for the rest of the world caught in the 2008 crisis. And reading about that was definitely interesting, because it is no secret that as a lot of people suffered from that very crisis, there were also those who managed to get an upper hand, so to speak, and leave the table rather wealthier. Which is partly the moral dilemma that Gary went through here, finding it more and more difficult to reconcile his success with the realisation that the markets were going crazy, and soon going down in flames.
I had a bit of a harder time, though, with the portrayal of the trading world—entertaining in a way (everybody in there seemed to be a prick of some sort or other), but it’s the kind of portrayal that grows a little… stale after a while? Note: I have no idea how people behave on the trading floor, it may or it may not be that this environment is pretty toxic in general and in nature, and I wouldn’t be surprised if indeed it was. It just grew old after a while. Also I was somewhat annoyed at the last part of the book, because in the end it read more like constant anger cum trying to get as much money as possible from Citi before leaving, but without the deeper introspection I would’ve expected from this?
Conclusion: 3 stars, it is an interesting read, the author just doesn’t come off as very reliable or relatable. (Not sure if he was supposed to be, to be fair.)...more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A pretty interesting read in general. Maybe not the most original[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
A pretty interesting read in general. Maybe not the most original theme, nor anything that hasn't been written about aplenty, but as a condensate of examples illustrating how we have plenty of hidden potential we could tap with (but don't always realise we can), I found it inspiring nonetheless. Inspiring for myself, that is, but also as a resource for deeper thoughts when it comes to making my way on the path of leadership, since all in all, I'm still fairly new to it. And, perhaps, it was simply also a book that reached me at the right time, in the right frame of mind? (Hello, Impostor Syndrome my old friend? Can you go back into the closet again? Thank you!)
To be fair, for someone who has read several books on this theme already, this one won't bring anything really new, even though it reads easily and is engaging. Otherwise, it will provide food for thought.
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Pretty interesting, though not the easiest read, on account of t [I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Pretty interesting, though not the easiest read, on account of the math: essential they are, but very, very likely not something that everyone will embrace. I knew most of the concepts presented in this book already, but the math is still a challenge unless it's something I've reviewed time and time again....more
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volu[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volume, so I thought I might as well review everything at once.
The 6 books are a blend between "traditional" comics and manga, especially in the themes and graphic style.
I found the art gorgeous—the cover got me interested even before I read what the book was about—with its seinen-style style softened in parts with rougher lines, and the way it pictures a civilisation both refined and savage, through the auction and the Cumaea, on a backdrop of war with "monsters" (the arcanics). The Cumaea reminded me of a kind of medieval-flavoured order of "nuns" who hunt and capture monsters to perform cruel scientific experiments on them. Also, characters reminiscent of eastern folklore, like the kitsune-type child, coexist with more "western" characters (the little cyclops or angel-winged kid). Said art remains impressive throughout the whole volume, able to convey both harshness and a certain softness: gorgeous landscapes, expressive characters, and creepy features when it comes to the more monstrous parts. (It seemed slightly darker in issue 5, and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or a matter of different inks, but I find it's quite fitting, reflecting the way the story is evolving (towards darker revelations and purposes).)
The first part follows Maika, a fierce young woman who looks but isn't human, as she's "bought" by a Cumaea nun and brought into their compound. Gifted with a strange power she cannot fully control, Maika is looking for answers, and isn't shy about dirtying her hands to get them. The reader is also introduced here to a few other characters, some who will likely appear in other issues, and others who probably won't... but I suspect their shadow won't vanish as easily, and we'll still hear about them.
In the second part, we get to discover the world outside, and not through a couple of flashbacks only. While Maika and the little kitsune manage to find a friendly woman to help them travel, the Cumaea's badass and ruthless leadership is unveiled some more... and the world itself is not the least ruthless of all, what's with the war still looming over its inhabitants. Not to mention the various uses of lilium.
Part 3 highlights the gruesome truths of the world (that "mountain" on the last two pages...), among which what's hiding within Maika. Literally, may I add. The monster is revealing itself, and it is scary. Yet at the same time, beauty remains in that world, too: in its landscapes, in the costumes (Maika in her simple dress tends to make one forget the Cumaea's clothes), in the wonders it may also contain. Kippa the cute fox-kid also plays more of a role, discarding an opportunity for running away to behave bravely instead. It may not seem much, but... but that kid is cute, and a little cuteness is not unwelcome in that world.
Part 4 and 5 also introduce more players, like the Warlord and the Queen, and the plot thickens (hints about what happened in Constantine). And in part 5 and 6, we get to see more of the mysterious Dusk Court, who have their own sources of information and their own plans for Maika, and even sent a bodyguard sent to escort her to their lands. Meanwhile, the Cumaea make their moves as well, and some of them are also in a long game, more than meet the eye for sure. Also, what is being done to these poor kids downstairs, and are the cats their guardians, or here to suppress their powers, or?...
As for part 6, this collection of first issues ends with a cliffhanger that doesn't bode so well for Maika. Cosmic irony much? I am sad that I won't get to find all the answers now, yet I'm also glad that the plot isn't too simplistic noro "drowned" in pretty panels.
Notes:
- I find it particularly interesting that most important characters are females (men are mostly seen in passing), but in a way that doesn't get pointed at: they aren't strong or important "in spite of" being female (the way you unfortunately see in too many works of fiction), they just ARE, which is great. And speaking of the Warlord... haven't we seen that face?
- I'm not sure if the "Awakening" volume also containes the "cat lessons" that were at the end of each individual issue. I found them interesting, and I didn't mind the infoo-dump since it wasn't imposed within the story itself, so all's good for me in that regard.
Conclusion: Definitely a graphic novel I want to keep reading, for its wonderful art (both soft and harsh, a little weird, creepy in places, and with beautiful landscapes and buildings) as well as for the direction the story seems to be taking: Maika's stay at the compound is only the beginning. So many questions, and hopefully many answers to come... in the next collection of issues.
Merged review:
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
Actually, I received the first 6 parts, now gathered in this volume, so I thought I might as well review everything at once.
The 6 books are a blend between "traditional" comics and manga, especially in the themes and graphic style.
I found the art gorgeous—the cover got me interested even before I read what the book was about—with its seinen-style style softened in parts with rougher lines, and the way it pictures a civilisation both refined and savage, through the auction and the Cumaea, on a backdrop of war with "monsters" (the arcanics). The Cumaea reminded me of a kind of medieval-flavoured order of "nuns" who hunt and capture monsters to perform cruel scientific experiments on them. Also, characters reminiscent of eastern folklore, like the kitsune-type child, coexist with more "western" characters (the little cyclops or angel-winged kid). Said art remains impressive throughout the whole volume, able to convey both harshness and a certain softness: gorgeous landscapes, expressive characters, and creepy features when it comes to the more monstrous parts. (It seemed slightly darker in issue 5, and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or a matter of different inks, but I find it's quite fitting, reflecting the way the story is evolving (towards darker revelations and purposes).)
The first part follows Maika, a fierce young woman who looks but isn't human, as she's "bought" by a Cumaea nun and brought into their compound. Gifted with a strange power she cannot fully control, Maika is looking for answers, and isn't shy about dirtying her hands to get them. The reader is also introduced here to a few other characters, some who will likely appear in other issues, and others who probably won't... but I suspect their shadow won't vanish as easily, and we'll still hear about them.
In the second part, we get to discover the world outside, and not through a couple of flashbacks only. While Maika and the little kitsune manage to find a friendly woman to help them travel, the Cumaea's badass and ruthless leadership is unveiled some more... and the world itself is not the least ruthless of all, what's with the war still looming over its inhabitants. Not to mention the various uses of lilium.
Part 3 highlights the gruesome truths of the world (that "mountain" on the last two pages...), among which what's hiding within Maika. Literally, may I add. The monster is revealing itself, and it is scary. Yet at the same time, beauty remains in that world, too: in its landscapes, in the costumes (Maika in her simple dress tends to make one forget the Cumaea's clothes), in the wonders it may also contain. Kippa the cute fox-kid also plays more of a role, discarding an opportunity for running away to behave bravely instead. It may not seem much, but... but that kid is cute, and a little cuteness is not unwelcome in that world.
Part 4 and 5 also introduce more players, like the Warlord and the Queen, and the plot thickens (hints about what happened in Constantine). And in part 5 and 6, we get to see more of the mysterious Dusk Court, who have their own sources of information and their own plans for Maika, and even sent a bodyguard sent to escort her to their lands. Meanwhile, the Cumaea make their moves as well, and some of them are also in a long game, more than meet the eye for sure. Also, what is being done to these poor kids downstairs, and are the cats their guardians, or here to suppress their powers, or?...
As for part 6, this collection of first issues ends with a cliffhanger that doesn't bode so well for Maika. Cosmic irony much? I am sad that I won't get to find all the answers now, yet I'm also glad that the plot isn't too simplistic noro "drowned" in pretty panels.
Notes:
- I find it particularly interesting that most important characters are females (men are mostly seen in passing), but in a way that doesn't get pointed at: they aren't strong or important "in spite of" being female (the way you unfortunately see in too many works of fiction), they just ARE, which is great. And speaking of the Warlord... haven't we seen that face?
- I'm not sure if the "Awakening" volume also containes the "cat lessons" that were at the end of each individual issue. I found them interesting, and I didn't mind the infoo-dump since it wasn't imposed within the story itself, so all's good for me in that regard.
Conclusion: Definitely a graphic novel I want to keep reading, for its wonderful art (both soft and harsh, a little weird, creepy in places, and with beautiful landscapes and buildings) as well as for the direction the story seems to be taking: Maika's stay at the compound is only the beginning. So many questions, and hopefully many answers to come... in the next collection of issues....more
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a pleasant read, and I definitely like the artwork as much as I did originally, but after the cliffhanger on which volume 1 ends, I was expecting a little more in this one. Instead, what Lya finds leads to more questions (not necessarily a bad thing in itself), yet in the end, the additional answers she gets aren’t so interesting. At least for me, the latter probably stems from the fact we do get a name at last, but it doesn’t have much impact. (I’m trying hard not to spoil anything here, so let’s say that it’s akin to someone being super known/loved in certain circles, but if you’re not part of these circles/not interested in that person, you don’t feel emotionally involved in their lives.)
Merged review:
[I received a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I was a little less satisfied with this one than with volume one. It’s still a pleasant read, and I definitely like the artwork as much as I did originally, but after the cliffhanger on which volume 1 ends, I was expecting a little more in this one. Instead, what Lya finds leads to more questions (not necessarily a bad thing in itself), yet in the end, the additional answers she gets aren’t so interesting. At least for me, the latter probably stems from the fact we do get a name at last, but it doesn’t have much impact. (I’m trying hard not to spoil anything here, so let’s say that it’s akin to someone being super known/loved in certain circles, but if you’re not part of these circles/not interested in that person, you don’t feel emotionally involved in their lives.)...more
[I got an ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.]
A very interesting read, with things I already knew/had read about somewhere else, b[I got an ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for a honest review.]
A very interesting read, with things I already knew/had read about somewhere else, but also with additional information that I hadn't suspected at first, but make a lot of sense in hindsight. The writing itself is easy enough to follow (if a bit on the academic side -- nothing too complex though) and the 'narrative', with each chapter following a specific period of time (Neolithic, Greek/Roman ancient times, Middle Ages, etc.), was quite enthralling. I especially liked the take on earlier periods, such as what pathogens' role may have been for Sapiens and Neanderthal, and the additional details when it came to the Americas and their colonising -- the latter both chilling and full of meaning.
All in all, I think the earlier chapters were best. The ones about more recent periods were just as interesting, but their context meant having to delve into politics/history as well, and at times it hid the 'pathogen' aspect a little. Not much, though, so that was fine....more
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley, but alas I made the mistake of not reviewing it soon enough after reading it, and now too much time I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley, but alas I made the mistake of not reviewing it soon enough after reading it, and now too much time have passed for me to be able to write a proper, thorough honest review. :(
I do keep fond enough memories of this book, though--not the best read ever for me, but entertaining, and with a cast of characters that was refreshing to see. I particularly enjoyed Dr. Khan, especially when she was faced with the antagonists trying to force her to be who she wasn't. And I also liked the interludes, and the way they presented the two "branches", with the little twist on "our fragile cousins from the forests, who one day disappeared" (a nice change of perspective)....more
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