dobbsthedog's reviews
1663 reviews

3.5 stars, maybe 4?

*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!*

I’m feeling kind of unsure of how I feel about this series…. I love the idea of a queer, erotic retelling of the Tristan and Isolde legend, but I’m not sure that the overall story is working for me?

Apparently both Tristan and Isolde are in love with Mark, who is this demanding Dom with no refractory period.  But then Tristan is also in love in Isolde and maybe Isolde is in love with Tristan, which is a story I can get behind more than the love story with Mark.  Like, I just don’t see Mark’s appeal?  So far he hasn’t been written in a way that makes him appealing.  He runs a kink club, trades in secrets, is apparently a Very Scary Dom™️ (how he describes himself), but he mostly just seems like a dick?

In this book especially, the lack of communication between Mark and Tristan was really frustrating.  Mark tells Tristan absolutely nothing, and though we are sort of lead to believe that maybe Mark has feelings for Tristan, he never says anything, leaving Tristan to think of himself as nothing but Mark’s toy.  

I’m also not sure that the shady, dark secrets aspect of the book is working for me, either.  It really feels like there are all of these things that are hinted at, but not actually said, and I’m finding it quite annoying.

There is a ton of graphic, on page sex, some kink, though mostly it’s described after the fact.  There’s also a whole section of dub-con, which is a choice, and even though I think it’s meant to show how much Mark wants Tristan, it seems a bit unrealistic for this to happen to an experienced Dom who runs a kink club.  Also, and this is a totally personal thing for me, I just really dislike how often Simone uses the word cunt.  I don’t object to the word itself, it just seems like such a crass word to use as a descriptor.

Despite all of the things I didn’t love about this book, I will probably read the rest of the series, because I am curious. I assume we are heading for a poly relationship, which isn’t something I get to see too often in romance, and I’m curious how it will play out.

This book was fine.

I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of a lot of religion in my romance, as I am not a religious person.  It obviously plays a large role in this story, so I get it, but it’s not my favourite.

This is Isolde’s origin story, I suppose.  I must say that I’m very curious if the Catholic Church actually has an assassins branch, as this book seems to suggest?  Like, I honestly can’t tell if this is supposed to be realistic or not?

Gotta say, not a fan of Mark.  I’m wondering if we will get a book in the series from his POV, because currently he seems kind of, idk, one dimensional?

Anyway, I’ll likely read the rest of the series, as I’m curious about how everything will resolve.

I enjoyed this one.  I tend to be quite leery of hockey romance, because I’ve read several where they really don’t understand hockey AT ALL, and it really takes me out of the story when there are errors.  I only found one in this book, but it was pretty minor, so I’m not even going to say what it was.

I’m usually not a fan of friends to lovers, but I did like this one.  And I did find Zach’s rational for him and Nate to hook up to be pretty funny (we have to do it for the team!).  However, the fact that neither of them could actually talk to each other about their feelings was incredibly frustrating. Miscommunication is one of my most disliked tropes, so I just found it really annoying.

Overall, solid hockey romance and I will definitely be reading the next in the series when it comes out.

Not bad for middle grade horror. I keep expecting these horror stories to be like, oh, you just thought this was freaky/haunted/etc, but it’s actually something totally normal, but no, this was straight up a doll made from dead girl bones.

I’m finally reading this, after years of it sitting on my shelf!

I really enjoyed it, enjoyed the artwork, though found it annoying that it’s not a true manga, because it’s not read back to front.

This was a really cute graphic novel, about Princess Brie of Fromage falling in love with Count Camembert, over grilled cheese sandwiches.

CW: sexual assault

This was an excellent read, totally understand why it won Canada Reads.

It’s a graphic memoir about the 2 years that the author spent in the tarsands in Alberta.  What I really liked was that it’s just her story of living and working there; it’s not for or against the tarsands (though I am 1000% against them, personally), it’s just showing what it’s like to work there.

I have heard what it’s like there, though to get the perspective of a woman working there, where the ratio of men to women is at times 50:1, is quite eye opening.

While I do understand that this all took place 15+ years ago, I have to admit that I was quite shocked by the complete lack of mental health supports that there appeared to be. I hope that’s improved, but I could also see it still being the same.  The author does touch on this in the afterward, the idea that the tarsands are this place with all of these hyper-masculine men, who are strong and tough and don’t need no therapy, and the type of culture that that produces.  Rape culture, cat calling, and massive substance abuse.

I highly recommend this book, it was really excellent.

Received from NetGalley, thanks!

I quite enjoyed this little novella!  A sapphic mystery in space with monsters definitely worked for me!

Basically, a ragtag group of juniors (apprentice navigators, I guess? It’s a bit tough to explain the world and the various SF elements) are brought together by the powers that be to deal with a tangler that has escaped from the Hollow (to me this sounded almost like a pocket dimension, it’s not really explained).

Throughout the story there are things that don’t really make sense, how the tangler escaped, why it’s so big, etc, and when these questions are answered it’s revealed why this particular group was chosen to deal with it.

I know that it’s a short little book, but I did find it a bit tough to follow at times, because there are various elements that aren’t explained. You’re just dropped into this world and this is how it is. It mostly worked for me, except that I would have liked a bit more background.  It’s also possible that this book is set in an already established world of de Bodard’s, as she has an extensive backlist, most of which I haven’t read.

Overall, enjoyed it, and will probably seek out some more of de Bodard’s backlist.

This was a fascinating book.  It starts with Klein talking about her own doppelgänger, Naomi Wolf, and how being repeatedly confused with Wolf had impacted on her life and career.  But then she went on to talk about all kinds of other doppelgänger/doubling situations and I found it incredibly interesting.

I don’t know that I can write an overly nuanced review of this book, as it covered a lot; from how left-leaning folks swung hard to the right during Covid to how Israel is a warped doppelgänger of other European colonizer states.  

Throughout she referenced various historical, as well as some contemporary, stories and instances of doubling or meeting one’s doppelgänger, and drew parallels to all kinds of political and societal instances we are seeing today.

This wasn’t the easiest book to read, it’s a bit dense, but I do recommend reading it if you have much of a presence online or want a more critical look at online life and politics in the current climate.