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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book shouldn't start with 4 pages of reviews of how great the author is, and the explanation behind each story should be at the beginning so readers have a single clue what's going on.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The thing with anthologies is that their variety is their greatest strength, but it can also just as equally be their greatest weakness. I never go into anthology expecting to love every single story. I hope I do, but usually it's inevitable that there are a couple of duds mixed in.
Not with this book.
Every moment reading this was absolutely fantastic. If you like sci-fi and fantasy short fiction, snatch this up!!!
Not with this book.
Every moment reading this was absolutely fantastic. If you like sci-fi and fantasy short fiction, snatch this up!!!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars only really because the stories in the middle felt a little unfinished, like they needed a little more time baking. the start and finish were both absolutely gorgeous.
Best short story collection I have read in a long time. Each story and main character gripped me although I have to say the first story with the scary hoodoo magic sucked me right in.
Marjorie's writing is magical and it makes me feel like I am reading the fairytales of dark forests and villains that I have been longing for all my live. Even Lex Luthor kept me on the edge of my seat.. yes the bald guy from Superman, trust me you will love him too.
Marjorie's writing is magical and it makes me feel like I am reading the fairytales of dark forests and villains that I have been longing for all my live. Even Lex Luthor kept me on the edge of my seat.. yes the bald guy from Superman, trust me you will love him too.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sympathy for the bones- I liked this story. It was a little dry, and I could see both the twist and the ending from a mile away. But I really didn't think that they would have much sympathy for Clora. None of the men killed would have known that Clora was being held hostage by Ruth. From their perspective, she was just there spelling out their inevitable doom, but not doing anything to help prevent it. How would they have sympathy for her? I know I wouldn't.
The Briar and The Rose - Also pretty dry. It got better toward the end. But the death of the witch was pretty anticlimactic. She's this fearful, oppressive presence the entire story. And instead of having this epic ending to her reign of terror. All the duelist had to do was ask someone to check out a book with her name in it at the library, lol.
The Light and the Fury - I liked this one. It was super interesting how she weaved crystals into the world. Marjorie Liu's mind is crazy good at coming up with absolutely wild concepts. But yet again. As with the other stories, it's kinda dry. And the mc ran into the woman who betrayed her. So you would think they'd duke it out in this epic battle, but nope. Not really. The mc just took her out like a chump. It was pretty anticlimactic.
The Last Dignity of Man - So, this one was weird. I don't know how to describe it, really. It was just kinda funky. But I definitely found it hard to sympathize with a billionaire who creates ethical abominations. Don't give af if he's lonely or not. Fuck him.
Where The Heart Lives - meh
After the Blood - also meh
Tangleroot Palace - mehhhhhhhhhhhhh - god, these last three were a struggle to get through. I didn't want to read yet another boring tale of a princess getting together with a prince. I wanted her to run off with the queen. That would have been interesting.
Overall, this was not a great read. Liu's Monstress comic blows this book out of the water. And honestly, I can't believe that they both have the same writer. I tore through all of the released volumes of Momstress in a couple days. I couldn't get enough. But this, it's just so dry and bored me to tears. I had to force myself to finish the book. I wanted this to be good too.
The Briar and The Rose - Also pretty dry. It got better toward the end. But the death of the witch was pretty anticlimactic. She's this fearful, oppressive presence the entire story. And instead of having this epic ending to her reign of terror. All the duelist had to do was ask someone to check out a book with her name in it at the library, lol.
The Light and the Fury - I liked this one. It was super interesting how she weaved crystals into the world. Marjorie Liu's mind is crazy good at coming up with absolutely wild concepts. But yet again. As with the other stories, it's kinda dry. And the mc ran into the woman who betrayed her. So you would think they'd duke it out in this epic battle, but nope. Not really. The mc just took her out like a chump. It was pretty anticlimactic.
The Last Dignity of Man - So, this one was weird. I don't know how to describe it, really. It was just kinda funky. But I definitely found it hard to sympathize with a billionaire who creates ethical abominations. Don't give af if he's lonely or not. Fuck him.
Where The Heart Lives - meh
After the Blood - also meh
Tangleroot Palace - mehhhhhhhhhhhhh - god, these last three were a struggle to get through. I didn't want to read yet another boring tale of a princess getting together with a prince. I wanted her to run off with the queen. That would have been interesting.
Overall, this was not a great read. Liu's Monstress comic blows this book out of the water. And honestly, I can't believe that they both have the same writer. I tore through all of the released volumes of Momstress in a couple days. I couldn't get enough. But this, it's just so dry and bored me to tears. I had to force myself to finish the book. I wanted this to be good too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, War, Injury/Injury detail