bkwrm1317's reviews
206 reviews

Mendel's Ladder: A Grimdark Scifi Epic The Collected Histories of Neoevolution Earth Vol. 1 by E. S. Fein

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 19%.
Weird/confusing even at nearly a fifth of the way through the novel. Not worth moving beyond slush phase. 
In the Valley, A Shadow by Samantha Tano

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 22%.
Clunky, not invested in characters even at nearly a quarter of the way through the novel. Better than some of the others up to that point, but not good enough to make it beyond slush/to QF. 
Embers of Esper: An Epic Sci Fi Adventure by Tyler Aston, Tyler Aston

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Didn't find characters compelling, in particular - one femme character was overly obsessed with her looks (e.g. leaving behind a "beautiful corpse") and it detracted from the story for me during slush phase. Not compelling enough to propel into the QF. 
Embargo on Hope (Star Marked #1) by Justin Doyle

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Really weird physical descriptions of characters were a big turn off during slush phase reading this one. E.g. comparing someone's arms to having a gorilla for a mother, calling their lips/chin/other physical attributes "oversized" which often elicits thoughts of subtle (or not so subtle) racism towards Black folks, even if that was not the author's intent. Didn't flow particularly well. 
Beautiful World: Part 1 by Bill Sharrock

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 2%.
Unfortunately the file transferred incredibly strangely to Kindle, and the rest of the team didn't particularly recommend. Nixed during slush phase for SPSFC4. 
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A much more confusion portion of this trilogy from my read, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’ll be looking forward to wrapping up this series and seeing what happens to Control/John and the rest as Area X is increasingly out of control in this ecohorror series. 
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Medina’s Sisters of the Lost Nation will reel in readers with the plot, but absorb them with the reflections and themes about 2S folks, MMIW/R (missing and murdered indigenous women/relatives), and more. 

While the Takoda people are an amalgamation of many tribal peoples, they are representative of so many Indigenous and Tribal experiences in the US. 

I really enjoyed the folk horror elements of the story, including the revenge-seeking rolling head. While not my typical five star novel, this one really kept me engaged and turning the pages. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My first read by this author did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the multiple timelines and play with time-space with the technology of the Wisdom. While this wasn’t a 5 star read for me it WAS solid! 

Check CWs. Really a very solid debut novel. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Disability and Empire: Class, U.S. Imperialism, and the Struggle for Disability Justice by Joyce Chediac, John Peter Daly, Jane Cutter, Sunil Freeman

Go to review page

informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

3.75

An interesting (and quick) foray into what it means to be disabled under empire in the United States in the 21st century (and some history), as well as how the US empire has disabled people all over the world. Some interesting ideas and possibilities explored in examples outside of capitalist imperialist medical systems for disability rights and disabled folks. 
A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 68%.
This felt like a slog at every step. Really truly just not for me 🤷🏽‍♀️ characters didn’t feel compelling nor relatable, just made me sleepy every single time I picked it up.