Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s too bad this world, its characters, dragons, and story are not more fleshed out. There is a whole epic fantasy that could be unpacked here. Usually I love short stories for their snappiness but today I wanted this to be longer. I wanted so much more of every scene. An opportunity to really languish in this realm of dragons and war mongering emperors and young, girl kings.
That’s not to say that Neon Yang has done anything wrong with this sweet little story. They haven’t. It’s just that I think it could have been so much more in every way. Sometimes reducing a story to its bare minimum is the wrong choice and I think that it was here. At least a 300 page story could have been composed here; if not a full 600 page epic.
As the reader, we are asked to question motivations, love, loyalty, and routine in this short story. Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame brings us into a structured world in which hunting dragons is a job; and seen as a calling of the highest order. Our MC is a girl who, despite a disability, with a tad of OCD, and social anxiety; manages to do very well for herself. She had a mysterious air about her due to her ‘quirks’ and so is surprised to be sent on a solo mission. One with a conflicting agenda; and one that will change her life forever.
The flow of the story is good and Yang brings it all together nicely. I just wish there was more to it.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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Deep Cuts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As someone whose eternal life partner is a huge music snob, who I met at 23, had a glorious year with, and then panicked and ran away, only to be dragged back five years later into his arms; this book is scary in its depth, ambience, and overarching love story that I connected with on a level unprecedented. At points it felt like I was at my own clumsy virgin moment as Percy experiences hers, but also then reminiscing about my own first experiences with betrayal, heartbreak, and the curse of being young and stupid. Only to then be brought back around and reminded that we all must hurt to grow, and we cannot truly appreciate what we have until we have lost it for a time… and all the while the music plays.
Holly Brickley has infused herself into this book. She’s shown extreme snobbery in music (I know as we’re of the same generation, and even my snobby music obsessed husband didn’t know every reference to every obscure NYC band!!); and put it on the page in such a way that it bleeds hipster hype infused with indie irreverence. All things that are seemingly unable to exist at once, and yet do both in the story and in real life.
I didn’t love this at a couple key moments, which is why even with its strong ending I feel compelled (for now) to keep it at four stars. I know some of the moments that I felt slogged were intentional; as our leading gal, Percy, is also feeling that way. Thankfully it doesn’t last too long and I was easily brought about and delving back into the lyrics on the page.
If you love The Star is Born (original with Heston or remake with the stunning Lady Gaga) then you are likely to love this. I’m not usually one for the romantic contemporary story but occasionally one gets me and Deep Cuts won the battle to bring my cold black heart out for a time. Music is an amazing, moving, gloriously unique art medium and somehow Brickley manages to have you hearing the songs by just reading the words on the page. A truly amazing feat.
Thanks to Brickley for being born in a small town in Canada so this read helps me meet my Canadian author quota for the year, and to a number of challenges that brought this book to the top of my TBR. I might have avoided for a lot longer without these two factors. I’m pleased to read a love story that isn’t about perfect people or moments; but is instead messy; filled with anguish, desire, and yearning, just like real life.
Thankfully today I’m past the age of these characters and settled into my amazing life with my husband. Deep Cuts is a brilliant reminder of where we all have came from and to remember to appreciate every shining moment of our love and lives. I’m so rarely overly sentimental or introspective about my own life; but Brickley strung a chord that I can’t ignore. Do not miss this musical journey.
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Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is tough… the read itself is good. It’s interesting, engaging enough (although I didn’t connect quite as well with our leading lady as I did with our main man in Bury Your Gays—which is Chuck Tingle’s best). Likely the average person looking for a thrilling, bizarre ride will be intrigued. There is all manner of insanity here and Blake Crouch fans will be engaged if nothing else. It lacks the hard science of Crouch novels but for most that is likely a good thing. None of that is the problem I have with Lucky Day. The commentary on our existence, statistical probabilities, and philosophical musings is all more than adequate.
My issues are more personal. And so I can’t give this 5 stars like I might want to. But my reasoning may not make sense to most. The leading lady in Lucky Day is bisexual. I’m also a female bisexual. When we first meet her, the reaction from her Mother is typical. The usual ‘it’s a phase’, ‘bisexual doesn’t exist’, etc. And so I was hopeful that we would be on a journey to really look at what it means to ‘not exist’ but also not belong to any sexual identity. You’re not straight, you’re not gay, you’re not trans. You’re something in-between all of them; subject to emotional feelings most people ignore in themselves just so they can say they are heterosexual or homosexual (cause it’s easier than being bisexual and trying to explain how everyone has the chance to be attractive to you). While Tingle adequately handles the idea of non-existence he never touches on the feelings or emotions behind never belonging.
Let me explain further if I may…
I can go to a cocktail event with my husband, mostly hetero couples, and I pass. I can go to a Pride parade, dish about gorgeous girls and pass. But do I ever belong to either group?
It’s a conundrum that, even at 42 yrs old, with an insanely supportive partner, I have yet to answer. Reality is that most bisexuals end up with a straight partner because that’s just what is easier as our society caters to it. And so many turn their backs on their queer feelings and roll with that identity.
A couple years ago I decided to really embrace my queerness and be more bold that while my partner is a man I’m truly bi. In doing this, I got told, by a lesbian BFF, that I ‘don’t make sense’ and really should ‘pick a side’ because I ‘can’t have the best of both worlds’. It crushes me when I recall those words. Not unlike the continuing journey of emotions our leading lady goes through in this book.
Yet Tingle has missed the sense of ‘missing’ in the middle piece of it all; or it didn’t quite get there and resonate with me. Now this is just my journey with this book. And I think everyone will have a very different one. I just got my hopes up to have some truly honest bisexual representation (for the first time ever) and so maybe got too excited and my expectations were too high.
Lucky Day is one of those books that everyone will get something different from. Its gore factor is quite low for a horror novel. It’s less scary than Tingle’s other books and really stands better with Dark Matter by aforementioned Crouch. I think most will enjoy the insanity of this story; I wish it would rain rainbow confetti, sounds so pretty!!
I’d definitely recommend reading Lucky Day; but I’ll caveat that and say Bury Your Gays has a more gut punch queer feel to it and a lot more action. That said Tingle has cemented himself as a ‘must read’ author for me this year (when not writing ridiculous smut books); and I’ll look forward to his next one confident that not all the queer characters will be dead in the end! :)
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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