nmcannon's reviews
1362 reviews

The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

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emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball's Forgotten Era by Claude Johnson, Claude Johnson

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challenging informative medium-paced

4.0

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

After enjoying the audiobook of A Psalm for the Wild-Built, my partner and I downloaded the library’s copy of A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, pulled out another puzzle, and got listening.

After announcing Mosscap’s mission to the world, Sibling Dex and their robot friend are touring Panga. Mosscap will ask their question, “What do you need?” and Sibling Dex will serve tea and think about what they want to do with their life, now they’ve realized their burnout.

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy continues to be the gentle, delightful solarpunk exploration of its predecessor. Different villages have a different relationship to technology, and all relationships are affirmed. Chambers expands on the complexity of Mosscap’s question. I loved the concept of plebs as a social currency. Absolutely fascinating stuff. The emphasis on world-building is still there, and I was happy for a front row seat to Chambers’ positive, hopeful imaginings. Em Grosland’s voice work is top-notch. If you like audiobooks, definitely pick up Prayer’s.

Monk and Robot continues to be a whimsical, sun-drenched treat. If you’re at all interested in solarpunk and a brighter future, curl up cozy and give it a read!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-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

5.0

My partner and I were scrolling through the library’s audiobook section and were shocked that Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built was available. We downloaded, unearthed a puzzle, and hit play.

Sibling Dex is a traveling tea monk on a tiny moon that is half inhabited. What is a tea monk? It’s a monk who follows the god of little comforts and serves tea and a listening ear to communities. What is a half-inhabited moon? It’s Panga where robots suddenly gained sapience, and the humans, horrified that they may have been enslaving thinking beings, let the robots march off into the other half of the planet. This other half is dedicated wilderness. Humans are forbidden from settling there. After years honing their craft, Sibling Dex is very good at their job and has settled into a blithe routine. What makes no sense is this itching, unsettled feeling in their bones, a restlessness uncured by naps, pillows, and snacks. The only thing sparking their interest is a trip into the wilds–the forbidden space full of trees, roots, and potentially robots.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is solarpunk cuteness! The environmentalism, cultural humility, and cultural exchange are Chambers’ main focus, so don’t expect a character-heavy journey. Sibling Dex and the robot Mosscap are a delightful pair as is. I loved the hopeful feel of the novella, how Becky showed living could be easier and better. It’s not a utopia by any means–the fact humans are positioned as harmful to nature instead of part of nature is insidious–but after so many scifi dystopias, it was a treat to witness an author imagine a better world. The emphasis on cozy comfort and tackling burnout felt like a beeswax balm. My wife and I also had a meta-level chuckle that Monk and Robot is our second series with a nonbinary monk traveling the land and listening to stories. Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle is very different from Chambers’ work, but it’s funny this type of character and premise happened twice.

Overall, if you enjoy science fiction and need a bright spot in this dark time, pick up A Psalm for the Wild-Built. Dare to envision a better, cozier future.

Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Before reading Court of the Vampire Queen, Katee Robert’s name was on the fringes of my bookish milieu. I knew she was Good™️, but nothing else. When I was at the library searching for Emergency Good Times, I saw Robert and the word “vampire” and blindly picked it up.

So boy was I delighted and surprised when I realized Court of the Vampire Queen is erotica! And not just one erotica, but three erotica novellas collected together in one convenient package! Hahahahaha, dear reader, I’m sorry I can’t share my face. The supernaturally biracial Mina has been caught between mundane and magical cultures all her life, and, more to the point, under her father’s thumb. When her father sells her as a brood mare curiosity to the powerful vampire lord Malachi Zion, she’s determined to rebel–by not getting pregnant. She knows a barren marriage won’t be easy, but the minute she walks past Malachi’s threshold she realizes something more is at play here. Why is a powerful vampire lord starving? Why is he alone? Is the great master of darkness…really this polite?

Court of the Vampire Queen is a delicate balance between world-building and smut. Robert drip-feeds the reader ~~blood~~ lore among the sex scenes. Sometimes frustrated by this storytelling choice, I took refuge in the Watsonian explanation for the slowness. Mina’s father kept her ignorant of esoteric and even basic monster knowledge, and a main thrust of Mina’s character arc is learning and reclaiming her unique heritage. She and the reader learn together How Stuff Works in Robert’s universe. Ultimately, the slow world-building spurred me to keep reading because I wanted to find out more.

The relationships and titillation are Court’s central focus. In addition to Malachi, Mina romances definitely-not-Damon-Salvatore and Spike-with-serial-numbers-filed-off. In a refreshing change of pace, the main female character is not the only glue that holds the polycule together. The other two men show up for Malachi and are equally enamored with him. This sense of equal attraction was a refreshing change of pace for me. It lifted a burden I didn’t realize I’d been carrying for reverse harem romances. The emphasis on consent and the pains taken to keep the relationships healthy, despite some serious supernatural bonding shenanigans, were exactly what I needed to read too. The sex was hot too, of course.

Overall, Court of the Vampire Queen was a brilliant, fun foray into Robert’s writing, and left me eager for more. I’m especially eyeing her queer forays, like Blood on the Tide, The Succubus’ Prize, and Stone Heart.

Alice by Christina Henry

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and its sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass are favorites of mine. When an adaptation comes along, the temptation to sharpen my teeth on its pages is real. That’s how Alice found its way onto my bookshelf. Though the technical skill and imagery are well done, my boredom with suffering and violence interfered with me enjoying Christina Henry’s Wonderland remix.

Dirty and tangled, Alice struggles to hold onto the fractured pieces of her mind. She knows she’s in prison. She knows she’s near a river. She knows she can trust Hatcher, her fellow inmate. When the prison catches fire and Hatcher offers to swim her across the river to freedom, she takes his hand. Together, they set out to find shelter and the missing pieces of their memories, all while pursued by the White Rabbit and various Wonderland-ish oogie boogies.

Henry’s brutal, bloody remix seems heavily influenced by American McGee’s Alice video games series. Hatcher and Alice arrive at various fantastical set pieces and have to beat or outsmart the creatures they find there. Alice is older and surprised to find "Wonderland" so changed. We’re drenched in a grime-y goth Victornia aesthetic with the slightest neon touch of Hot Topic. As you may guess from the premise, mental health, deceptive appearances, and reclamation are big themes. As other reviews mention, sex trafficking and rape are discussed topics. While I’m fine with violent remixes of Alice in Wonderland, the gore has to be pointed to be satisfying. Alice in the Country of Hearts and “Alice of Human Sacrifice” have plenty of disturbing imagery, but the aberrations comment on the otome genre and the perils of ignoring reality/being trapped in a dream. Thematically, Alice asks if the reader is aware that sex trafficking and rape exist. Yes. Pain is boring. Let’s move on. This shallow messaging contrasted sharply with Henry's serious technical chops. Henry’s craft is brilliant, and the mystery unraveled with prowess. Though I was bored with what they were finding out, Alice and Hatcher are compelling characters, drawn with curious, blood-drenched lines.

I’m not interested in pursuing the series, but I suppose I have another Carroll remix notch in my belt. Cool. If you’re looking for an adult version of The Looking Glass Wars or a book version of American McGee’s video game, Henry’s Alice has your back.

For reference, the game trailer for American McGee’s Alice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg4FG0kCMBU and American McGee’s Alice: Madness Returns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFrs5UGB-ns

My review of Alice in the Country of Hearts: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/81cc4ac9-2b3a-410f-aa62-1b8eec26dab8

The song “Alice of Human Sacrifice” with an English dub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fduXL0TOt_c

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

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3.0

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced