cameronreads's reviews
519 reviews

If you ever read a fiction book about war, let it be this one. The story telling was so clever and interesting, and the book truly captures the horrors of war and racism as well as the wonders of love and music. I did in fact cry. 
Also, the narration of the audiobook was wonderful, with a different narrator for each God. I’d recommend if you like audiobooks!

The discussions around being Latiné, non-binary and neurodivergent in this book were some of the best I’ve ever read. Bastián is Mexican, non-binary and has ADHD, and Lore is Mexican, non-binary, and has dyslexia. There were so many ways these identities are discussed and every one of them was incredible. The differences in how the two experience gender, with Bastián identifying as a trans boy, just one who uses they/them pronouns, and Lore’s identity being more fluid, and how this effects them differently: Basitián’s experience with starting T and how to tell people in his life, and Lore’s experience with people perceiving them solely as a girl and not understanding why they would ‘chose’ to sometimes not be. Asking explicitly what words you use to describe yourself, and understanding this can be both abstract and change from day to day. As a non-binary person, this is probably one of the best reps I’ve read.
Watching Bastián properly come to terms with their ADHD was so powerful. They’ve been diagnosed since before the book starts and already have plenty of coping mechanisms - but also many things they still struggle with, one of which being not allowing themselves to come to terms with their bad days and letting that swallow them up. Watching them learn how to communicate and reconcile with themself was exactly what I needed. I may not have ADHD so couldn’t relate to the intricacies of what Bastián was going through, but I am autistic and the broader struggle of coming to terms with having aa neurodivergent  brain was explored wonderfully.
Similarly, Lore’s dyslexia was explored very well, and there were some wonderful metaphors and explanations that really helped me, as someone who doesn’t have nor knows anyone who has dyslexia, understand at least a little of what it is like. I think it was really interesting to discover, as Lore does, (potential spoiler here) that it isn’t really the fact they’re dyslexic that bothers them, but rather who people see them as someone with dyslexia (as well as someone who is brown and non-binary). 
Personally, I wasn’t that connected to the plot, and whilst this was a bit of an issue for my overall enjoyment of the book, I don’t think it matters for the book as a whole, as really it felt like a metaphor to allow these two characters to come to terms with themselves
The romance, whilst perhaps not necessary, was sweet, and I did really appreciate the open communication at the end. 
The writing, whilst not my favourite style, was well done, both as a mode of communicating the discussions it had and creating an atmosphere for the main plot. The characters were relatable and flawed, and we all know those are my two buzzwords for characters.
Overall, this was well-done, and I’d definitely recommend.

This book was just as incredible as the first one without a drop of middle book syndrome in sight. Everything felt so complex and realistic in a way that had me completely sucked in. All of the characters were so intricate and flawed in such an interesting variety of ways and this was reflected in the complex relationships between them. The way the world building and especially the religions were expanded on were so interesting - I loved reading about the various beliefs and the sub-sects of them as well as how they interlinked. I once again loved that we got to see from such a wide variety of perspectives and thought it was done masterfully. I can’t believe I’m going to have to wait so long for the third book.

I really loved this book, and it’s definitely an upper 4 stars for me. It embodied trans rage in the exact way I wanted, and I loved watching Benji come into his own and take his revenge. I loved the conversations it had about fitting into the world as a trans person, as an autistic person, and the criticism of religion, but also the nuances it took in those discussions; not all religious people are the same, not all trans people are the same, etc. As a trans masc person and an autistic person I felt both Benji’s and Nick’s struggles with my entire chest, and just thought this book encapsulated the experiences perfectly. 

The reasons it didn’t get a five are twofold. One is completely a me problem - although I really liked lots of the writing and descriptions, I didn’t quite gel with the writing style, I think because I’m just growing out of YA. Secondly, I wanted just a little bit out of the ending. I think the main battle was done interestingly, but I wanted it to take up a little more space, and also see a little more of the aftermath. I think the relationship between Nick and Benji didn’t come to a peak because of the slightly abrupt ending as well.

Still, I loved this book, and if you can handle the trigger warnings, I’d definitely recommend.

One of my new favourite books of all time. The perfect dark academia, the perfect discussion of colonialism, the perfect historical fiction. Wonderful, intricately crafted characters and magic; beautiful, heart wrenching prose, and astonishingly researched and in depth storytelling. Everyone, everyone, should read this book.

I really really loved this book. I think it was the perfect critique of colonialism and racism from such interesting perspectives. I was so compelled by the plot and the characters, and thought the complex relationship between Luca and Touraine was executed wonderfully. I loved all the representation in here: the completely casual sapphic rep, the wonderful disability rep, and the un-discussed non binary character. I thought both perspectives was so interesting, with Touraine having been taken away from her home country as a child and having to find a way to fit back into the society, and Luca, the princess of an empire who struggles to do right by the colonies but can’t for the sheer fact of it being an empire. I loved watching Touraine develop a complex and tense relationship with her mother and the rebels as well. 

There are two things I wished had been developed a little more (Touraine’s relationship with the Sands and the magic and religious systems) but otherwise I loved this.

This book, whilst not completely revolutionary, nor all-encompassing, was an interesting read, with a compelling concept. The writing was very good, with some very quotable lines, and I liked how it was told as an autobiography. I though the characters were suitably complex and interesting to read about, and I loved exploring the relationships Alex had with everyone around her. It didn’t exactly bring anything new to the table, and whilst it did touch on the intersectionality between being a women and being trans (although in a somewhat clunky way, with trans women once described as ‘women by choice’) there was no touching on race, which was disappointing, especially considering when this books was set and the means of protesting and discrimination that we saw. I wouldn’t recommend this as a book to open your eyes to something, or to challenge your views on feminism, but I would as an enjoyable read. 

I really liked this book! I struggled to get into it a little in the beginning, I think there was something a little off either with the pacing or the initial world building, but by the end I was really enjoying it. I think the characters brought it through for me, I really liked Lysande as a main character and think she provided a really interesting perspective, and I LOVED all of the side characters. I did guess who the traitor was very early, but that’s never really a problem for me in a book because it just makes me feel smart. I think sometimes the scenes felt a little jumpy, and there were times when the writing felt a little clunky and I had to reread a page or passage to fully get what was trying to be conveyed. I did like the plot overall though, and how it cumulated in a not-quite-ending. I liked the main relationship (despite just how much of a slow burn it was) and how they were constantly at each other’s throats until the end, it was very fun. I also loved the friendships between Lysande and Litany as well as her and Cassia. What can I say I love me a female friendship. I also appreciated the portrayal of addiction, though I’ve never experienced it so can’t say with certainty how accurate it is. I liked the world and the different cities (although I think it could have been set up better) and I think the magic system was interesting (although could have been a little more explored nearer the end). 

I’m so happy that this lived up to my expectations. Perhaps my favourite thing where the characters; both Priya and Malini where detail, flawed, and incredibly strong characters that I loved reading about. I adored their relationship and how it slowly developed throughout the book (with no miscommunication!). I also loved how interesting the secondary characters were and the fact that we got to hear from such a varied selection of them, it definitely made other sides feel more real with their own motives. (Rukh especially was a favourite of mine.) I loved the rich world, magic system, and various religions, and I cannot wait to see them expanded upon in later books. The plot and pacing were excellent, and I loved where this book left us.  

A lot of what I liked about this book was remnants from Middlegame (namely the concept of embodied concepts, the writing, the mildly confusing nature, and the little cameos from Middlegame characters and how found family esque it felt). Otherwise, this book was a little disappointing coming from Seanan McGuire. I didn’t quite connect to our two main characters or their journey, which felt slightly anticlimactic. I was never on the edge of my seat or questioning how they could possibly get out of situations, and I even found myself once hoping they would lose in order to make the end a little more interesting. But I can’t rate it any lower than four stars simply because I ADORE the concept, and I liked how it was just Middlegame repeated with different concepts, there was a battle and companions and stuff. Still, I think there was SO MUCH potential with the labyrinth that was a little squandered, and almost the first half of the book felt like explanation. Actually you know what, I can rate it lower than 4 stars, it’s getting 3.5 unfortunately. Still I’ll read literally anything in this universe and enjoy it even if logically it’s a 1 star book because EMBODIED CONCEPTS ITS JUST SO COOL.