fishy

I haven't read any of her fantasy books yet. I know she has an insane backlog, I've just never gotten around to them. I really enjoy Murderbot because I found them really funny, I appreciate how short they are, and I like the messaging of them. Wells does a nice job of saying what she wants to say (re: genderqueerness, neurodivergence, capitalism & colonialism, etc.) without sacrificing her story and without assuming the reader is a fucking idiot. I just sent you a friend request over on Goodreads--I really enjoyed reading this! I agree with your points, too. I didn't love the narrator, and I was kinda annoyed with John Gwynne for choosing so many characters whose names start with the K sound. My main thought here was that it felt like a prologue to the series, if that makes sense? Like, this whole book felt like the setup for everything else that's going to happen. We took all this time just to establish who the good guys and bad guys are I think there's so much to like, and I'm so glad to hear that your 13 y/o is reading/enjoying it!!! The most obvious thing to love here is how the book explores racism and misogyny. I think the author does a fabulous job of Making It About Race(TM) without reducing the plot to a classic "fighting against the system" situation that we often see in fantasy. We follow Black female character whose story is not simply Black suffering. It's wonderful because you can tell that this story was written by a person who's experienced, witnessed, and felt the grief, loss, and hurt that's being presented here. She translates those feelings into a story palatable and accessible for young adults in a nuanced way that makes it appealing and enjoyable for adults, too. The romance is fantastic as well! There's a true love triangle (rather than a "love triangle," which is actually just a love angle) that's messy and requires all the characters to be fleshed out in order to be truly appreciated. The whole story is based on different magic systems coming together--King Arthur/Welsh mythology + Black American ancestral magic--which makes for a really rich system of power. Lastly, I'm usually rather critical of the chose one trope because it's been done so many times, but I really like the way it's written here. Instead of having an OP character whose main struggle is figuring out who to aim at, the narrative shows Bree struggling with the burden of that power and relying on her friends, family, and community to support her. It's overall really great messaging for young adults (and adults tbh) who pick the book up.

this is craaaaaazy ???? ADSOM series is my least favorite of their work. Vicious is literally right there

Finished book #100 of the year so far, so here are my 5 star reads up to this point: - An Honored Vow by Melissa Blair, final book of the Halfling Saga series - Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan - How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu - All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, and Network Effect by Martha Wells, books 1, 2, and 5 of the Murderbot Diaries series. All rereads and just as good as the first time!!!!!!! - Legendborn, Bloodmarked, and Oathbound by Tracy Deonn, books 1-3 of the Legendborn Cycle. First two were rereads and BETTER the second time. - Funny Story by Emily Henry - Seven Days in June by Tia Williams - The Foxhole Court, The Raven King, and The King's Men by Nora Sakavic, initial trilogy in the All for the Game series. - This is How You Lose the TIme War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. Also a reread

I just read this! I'm really eager to get into the next book, as I found this one really compelling. What did you think of it?

I really enjoyed PHM, and I think it was actually @Enorama who recommended it? I may be misremembering I'm interested to hear what you think of The Starless Sea - I started but didn't finish The Night Circus, and I've heard less about The Starless Sea than I had The Night Circus. I really didn't like the bit of TNC that I read, but I'd like to hear your impression of Morganstern's other work

Yeah, I read this late last year and really liked it. I'd probably give it a strong 4 or 4.5 star rating. It's easier reading than Babel, but I didn't like it as much as The Poppy War trilogy (which I'm currently re-reading). I'm almost done with Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, which I'm reading with my dad. We'll read 4.5 and have a few months to spare before the final Stormlight Archive installment comes out in December. I've got way too much on my to-read shelf right now and have been flying through books this year. I have no idea how to prioritize what's next, but I do know I want to continue the Broken Earth trilogy (first book is The Fifth Season, never read anything like it and absolutely recommend it to seasoned fantasy/sci-fi readers) and Between Earth and Sky trilogy, which competed earlier this year. I also have The Bone Season sitting on my shelf right now, which I'd love to get to soon. Samantha Shannon's other books are spectacular, and I have high hopes for it.

@aimkin i read Legendborn and Bloodmarked over the past couple days, and they are SO GOOD. i will be eager to re-read them next year in anticipation of Oathbound

ooo, this is on my TBR, I'd love to hear what you think of it!!

Hey, me too! My dad started the Stormlight Archive last November, and I mentioned I waned to read that series as well. For my birthday in February, he sent me the first three (full-length) books. We're reading them together, and we're currently on Oathbringer. I'm just now (finally) getting myself out of a reading slump--I felt like every book I read for a while was extremely average. I think The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas and What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez may have saved me, so I'm trying to keep my good streak up now. I've been doing this as well, and I really enjoy it. I read really slowly, so I like being able to put an audiobook at 3x speed and read at a faster pace. I also like being able to listen to a book while I'm doing various tasks, whether it be making dinner, running errands, or crocheting Audiobooks ftw

this is on my to-read list, but it's so long and feels like a major commitment. same with Brandon Sanderson books

in a similar vein: what books to you want to read in 2024 that you're most excited for?

ooo this sounds really interesting Of Blood and Fire is on my TBR too!!! it's independently published too, which is an added bonus

same!!!!!!!!!!! the US versions are so much prettier than the european ones though and i'm a little jealous now that i'm at my laptop, my top reads of the year (not including re-reads and not necessarily all my 5 stars): Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone Babel by R.F. Kuang A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington

I finished my year with this duology and LOVED it

of course it does