Only a story written with the legacy of Bruce Lee in mind could entwine martial arts and a fierce fighting competition with an overall story of tolerance and peace. Shannon and Fonda (both Lees, unrelated) have brought us a truly ‘Lee’ story that is not only a lovely tribute, but also a good reminder that we should all endeavour to live in peace and tolerate one another. Only fighting if absolutely mandatory. And then of course you must fight smart, waste no energy, and be prepared for anything.
I took Jeet-Kune-Do, Bruce Lee’s personal martial art, for a couple years when I was much younger (but still an adult). It was recommended to me because at only 5’1” and (at the time) a slight figure; it was one martial art I might be able to execute and do well at. I was pretty awful, lol. But did appreciate learning to punch properly, parry, and conserve energy with small movements. I still do some of the exercises I was taught back then. I carried those learnings forward to Tai Chi (which I wish I could find time to fit back into my life). All of which helped me be deliberate in my breathing, and movements. I know you’re all thinking I’m not the active type. Which is correct, and why I chose activities that didn’t require great strength or energy to participate in. Something Bruce Lee was known for; and certainly espoused in Breath of the Dragon.
We are set-up perfectly for the next novel; without feeling cheap at the end. If you chose to stop here this could be considered a stand-alone fantasy with an open ended ending. I love the relationships that develop here, the understanding people get for one another, and the representation of grief, anger, and frustration combined to give rise to an unprecedented need to work hard to achieve a goal.
There is a lot to love here. You don’t need to be a lover of martial arts stories (I’m not and still enjoyed this), or a huge war story reader. There is an evenness and balance throughout the novel. Making the Breath of the Dragon accessible to any fantasy reader. It has high fantasy lore with magic, political intrigue and war rumblings, alongside character driven concepts, and a lead that truly comes to learn more of themselves throughout the novel.
This is a great read, and the beginning of what I hope is an epic fantasy series. Above all else I believe Bruce and Brandon Lee would both have appreciated the way fighting, war, fairness, and peace are portrayed. You must have equality, and a calm fierceness, to be the best fighter and the best person. Being a fighter alone is not something to be proud of, you must also be a worthy human being.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
4.5 stars. Rounding up to 5 because of the wit, cleverness, and superb lying ability of our main gal. This is a novella that is both entertaining, death defying, and cute all at once. Even as our leading lady is performing deadly maneuver’s she is telling sad stories that make you think about the cost of both life and death. Of how close we all come at any given moment to the one tiny thing that might end it all. This is amplified in space, of course, as the smallest error or malfunction can bring down an entire ship and its crew. Yet certainly, Beth Revis means for the reader to consider that same minute possibility of death at any given moment here on climate ravaged, gravity pulled Earth.
While this is not a climate change dystopian book, it still holds a strong, compelling climate change message. That even from the depths of space all anyone can think about is what Earth once was, is today, or could still be with the right technology. Really what any planet could be with the right amount of carbon, H2O, oxygen, hydrogen, and (of course) radiant sunlight. I couldn’t help but think of Serenity at times and the messaging of what happens when government gets too involved in ‘perfecting’ society as it deems fit. There are no Reavers here, at least not yet; but there is a lot of political intrigue and possible conspiracy theories that have me scheming for book two.
Fair warning this little novella is a quick read and leaves all the questions unanswered. So you might want to be prepared with book two on deck; and not feel stranded on your own desolate ship as I am to learn my library hasn’t ordered it yet! Book 3 is (just) out so that’s something at least, and is the end of the trilogy. As always, for me, it’s nice to know there is an ending in place that is written and attainable as I read through any series (big or small).
This one is for anyone who loves Murderbot (although there is no AI as of yet), Rebecca Roanhorse, or any space book that doesn’t need to be a huge opera and/or have aliens. Full Speed to a Crash Landing is solely centred around humans and our nature. Our guilt of ruining Earth, our possible technological advances of the future, and our fallible tendencies when greed creeps in. Best of intentions or not Revis reminds us what being human really means; that one tiny misstep or malfunction could mean the end of it all.
I’m rounding up… this is like 4.3 stars and I’m rounding up because the concepts, triad, and other blood (vampiric but also not) elements. I want to say it’s perfect, but that would be a lie. It has some minor flaws, but so do many books I rate 5 stars. Usually because they speak to me, connect with me, or are just macabre enough to be my kind of thing. Mistress of Lies is one of those. I’ve read a lot of books, and a lot of paranormal vampire books (as well as even more fantasy books) over the years; but none of those vampiresque books have ever been quite as distinct as Mistress of Lies.
I was having trouble finding reading time at first, and as the book progressed I realized that I loved the dynamic between our three characters so much I was savouring it. Then the last 50 pages was intense, wild, and so great I stayed up to 3am to read it! In fairness, I may also be obsessed with the lack of focus on sexuality or gender conformity in the bedroom. As a bisexual woman there are just attractive people to me. What pieces they have is not relevant. I love the way Enright quickly portrays this message to readers and keeps it consistent throughout. Our characters don’t ever get hung up on liking a man or a woman, just people, no gender specifics needed. It’s refreshing and a huge boon for me to read characters who think about romantic partners in a way close to how I do.
As for plot, we have a lot of it. I am proud to say I called who the murderer was about halfway through. I didn’t guess the whole set-up; but definitely had a moment when I was sure it was a certain person. A few wrenches thrown in had me doubting myself at times, well played Enright, but in the end being correct when I was tickled me a little bit. (lol) It’s important to note that I didn’t feel cheap having sorted it out early which was really great and a nice change to how I usually feel about murder mystery type plots.
The cake was iced for me when I randomly stumbled upon an Illuminate crate exclusive in my home city for an amazing price! Beautiful sprayed edges, gilded hardcover, and amazing artwork front and back means I now have the perfect copy of this. The ultimate praise I can ever give a book is to add it to my personal physical library, and to add a fancy version is even better.
Who will like this? Well you need to be okay: with unique romantic arrangement’s, with macabre magic involving blood and/or a sense of sacrifice, with questionable morality, and kings whom are almost likeable even if slightly evil. There’s a lot to unpack here and I just cannot wait for book 2!
Final thought: If you read the opening two chapters and are turned off by the ceremony the King takes part in the public square then please be forewarned this slightly gothic, fairly bloody (not gory… but blood sacrific-y) book is not likely to be for you. If instead you’re intrigued, and wanting to know more then please read on and enjoy this unique fantasy (almost but not quite) vampire book with flawed characters I think you’ll get caught up in. I know I did!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
I would normally have avoided a book like this. However, my cities head librarian said this is a book everyone, everywhere should read. So I figured I’d give it a shot (it’s also shorter). Librarian was right (of course)! I very much enjoyed this one.
It’s five different peoples stories, at different points in life, whom all end up at a library and given books (and a felt craft item) that leads them to their next step in life. For all of them it’s a new start to a new stage of their life. The five stories are unique, and two of them tie direct to my old career in the magazine industry. The author also worked in the insane magazine world and clearly learned the same things I did. That it’s okay if your job isn’t your life, and that who we are is not just our career. It can be more personal and better than just what we do for a living.
If you need a book to convince you to switch things up, make something ‘more’ of yourself, or to find a new endeavour this is definitely a book you should read. I can see it inspiring people who don’t even know they need inspiration; or, alternatively, reinforcing that people are where they should be. A well recommended book for every individual out there.
Giving this one 3 stars is generous. A whole star is added because it has good trans/queer representation. Things that were lacking in this book are easily broken down:
1) The time travel, magical realism aspect here is redundant and irrelevant. It’s merely a mechanism for our MC to learn about himself instead of a way to move the plot forward. It’s never explained, appears to have limited rules, and very random. To say I’m not a fan of unstructured magic like this would be an understatement. I feel the same emotional growth could have been had by our MC by finding a journal he wrote but couldn’t remember much from and experiencing his own words on the page or in another format. The time travel was totally unnecessary.
2) Nothing happens. Okay that’s a lie, sex happens, once. And it’s a wasted opportunity to discuss what sex is like for a trans man, instead of having a narrative about it the sexual partner indicates he knows what to do or be aware of and nothing more is said. It could have been a great moment of education for readers, and a better understanding of a trans man who has had too surgery but not bottom. Instead it’s totally wasted. Otherwise our MC just wanders around his home town whining and acting like a teenager (even though he’s supposed to be 30!).
3) This author is better known for YA books. And in all honesty he should stick to them. The In-Between Bookstore reads like a coming of age novel; except our MC is 30 years old, whiny, annoying, and makes no sense. It was so weird for him to flip back and forth regarding who he wanted to be friends with, who he cared about, and other emotional issues.
Unfortunately this novel, while short enough, shouldn’t have hit shelves as is. It needed more direction, mature editing, and a real purpose that made more sense to the reader. It also needed some guts to really push on what gender dysphoria feels like, sex with a trans man, and the difficulty of coming out. Instead it glazes over most of these issues without really drawing the reader in. There are many better trans books to read out there (thankfully). I would leave this one on the shelf.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Yellow Wife is a well-written, horrifying story of slavery treatment. The coping and hoping that so many had to endure; and the ultimate sacrifice of identity, modesty, and humanity that is tragically lost along the way.
The story itself is very good and based loosely on facts. Given there is a fair bit of fiction here, everything felt believable (tragically) throughout. The biggest flaw however is that there is a bit of distance left between the reader and all the characters. At first I felt like this was left in place because Sadeqa Johnson is trying to give the reader the feeling of what many would have done to preserve their own sanity; distanced themselves from their living situations and reality. Eventually it felt like it was more a lack of intimate writing. I never really felt an enduring connection with any of our characters, including our leading lady. It was just a little too superficial when it came to emotions. This was especially true when it came down to scenes describing intense torture, insane grief, and other massively impactful moments. I'll admit that it's possible that more would have been too much for many readers. By keeping Yellow Wife at a bit of a distance Johnson allows more readers to be able to experience the reality of the extreme conditions for so many slaves in the Southern USA. For me that feels a bit cheap. Although I will admit to liking grimdark fantasy and horror so perhaps I'm not the right person to decide what is 'too much' for the average reader. That's not to say that I desire more harshness and intolerable conditions; just that it didn't connect for me like many other stories of this genre often do. At no time was I choked up or brought to tears. My fear for our characters was not as intense as it could likely have been and it was easy to casually pick this book up. Given the content and subject matter that is a bit surprising; but again leaves the novel readily accessible for a larger crowd of readers, which is awesome in it's own way.
I will look for more books by Johnson as I really liked the trueness that came across on the page. It felt very genuine and the research incorporated so many truths in it that it was nearly impossible to know what was likely fiction versus based on fact until I reader the Author's Note at the end. As with many historical stories Johnson provides us with a list of sources, supplemental reads, and details about what was based on as much fact as she could find.
Overall this is a shorter historical fiction book that is well worth everyone's time to read. It gives a brutal, excruciating view of the horrendous conditions of slavery in the South. I feel it's very timely given the recent events in the USA (it was just inauguration day) and how quickly things can deteriorate to conditions that are beyond unacceptable for any humans to exist in. While I do not believe that true 'ownership' slavery will ever come back; there is a fine line between slavery and creating social conditions that render certain groups of people into deplorable conditions, restrict their income or educational abilities, and in general control the lives of others. What is truly terrifying is that it's not as if equality had been gained between the timeframe of this book and today; and yet we are now seeing the rights and livelihood's of others taken away for no other reason than the colour of their skin, religion, sexuality, or place of birth. It's disgusting and I hope that books like Yellow Wife can remind people to fight back and remind themselves/ourselves that every human is equally special and precious.
If nothing else Yellow Wife does bring to the forefront that a common evil or enemy can create friendships and alliances that benefit the greater good. Let us hope that we see a lot more of this happen today as it did back then.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
