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mweis's reviews
1104 reviews
The Hunter's Gambit by Ciel Pierlot
2.75
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I had really enjoyed Pierlot's debut Bluebird when I read it in 2022 so I had kept her on my radar and I was really excited when I saw that her next project was going to be a poly vampire fantasy. Unfortunately, this was a pretty mixed reading experience.
The book follows Kazan, a blacksmith who is attacked by vampires and then captured to take part in a ritual where she is forced to act as "Queen" for three days and then will be sacrificed. I generally love books that have some sort of time limit or countdown element because it increases tension and I love isolated settings but despite having both of those elements, I mostly found myself bored. Kazan is doing what she can to survive and ends up making alliances with some of the vampires but I struggled to believe some of the leaps of logic and I'm not sure if it's because a lot of the worldbuilding felt flat or if it's because I didn't like Kazan as a main character and none of the side characters were really present enough on the page to make a mark. Which after loving both the world and the characters in Bluebird, I am really disappointed about my apathy for them here.
Overall, I didn't hate this but I think I went in with expectations that were too high. That being said, I do think there is an audience for this book and I love that 2024 seems to be the era of queer vampires.
I had really enjoyed Pierlot's debut Bluebird when I read it in 2022 so I had kept her on my radar and I was really excited when I saw that her next project was going to be a poly vampire fantasy. Unfortunately, this was a pretty mixed reading experience.
The book follows Kazan, a blacksmith who is attacked by vampires and then captured to take part in a ritual where she is forced to act as "Queen" for three days and then will be sacrificed. I generally love books that have some sort of time limit or countdown element because it increases tension and I love isolated settings but despite having both of those elements, I mostly found myself bored. Kazan is doing what she can to survive and ends up making alliances with some of the vampires but I struggled to believe some of the leaps of logic and I'm not sure if it's because a lot of the worldbuilding felt flat or if it's because I didn't like Kazan as a main character and none of the side characters were really present enough on the page to make a mark. Which after loving both the world and the characters in Bluebird, I am really disappointed about my apathy for them here.
Overall, I didn't hate this but I think I went in with expectations that were too high. That being said, I do think there is an audience for this book and I love that 2024 seems to be the era of queer vampires.
Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright
4.0
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This debut dark romantic fantasy had so many of my buzzwords that I couldn't not request it on NetGalley (or preorder it because I mean have you seen that cover?!). There's blood magic, a serial killer, a villainous heroine on a revenge quest, polyamory, and it's written by a trans Filipino-American author. This book had the potential to be a favorite of the year, and while it wasn't quite that I do think it had a lot of potential and I am so intrigued to see where the rest of this series goes.
I think most of my issues with this book stem from it being a debut. There are some pacing issues, specifically there were some plot beats that felt like they were barely touched on before moving on to the next thing and I would have loved to see more of those developments on page rather than fast forwarding through it. That being said, I really liked this book.
The story is alternately told from the perspectives of Shan and Samuel, who are the daughter of a disgraced Blood Worker with Plans for revenge and a bastard heir who stumbles into a game of politics he is completely unprepared for. I loved both of them so much. They are both very driven and complex. I also loved seeing how they interacted with the non POV characters and I would have loved to see even more of them. Shan's twin brother is Unblooded (nonmagical) and I loved seeing their relationship throughout the story because it's clear that while Shan loves and cares about her brother, she does not understand him. Shan's brother's lover, Bart, works with Shan as part of her information network, which I wanted to see more of. And then there's Isaac. Oh Isaac. He was a childhood friend of Shan's until he was promoted to the king's Royal Blood Worker and when he ends up back in Shan's life, there are Feelings. I love him.
This world is really cool. Thematically, the exploration of "othering" and systematic oppression doesn't feel new but it still feels relevant and I liked the take Enright had on those themes. I loved the casual transness of Isaac and the way he was able to use his magic to transition. Also the commentary on inequality there because Isaac is able to do this because of his status where Unblooded/nonmagical people wouldn't have the same access to healthcare.
I think as a whole, I just wanted more. There were so many fascinating plot elements that I just think we weren't able to spend enough time on that I hope to see more of in later books in this trilogy.
This debut dark romantic fantasy had so many of my buzzwords that I couldn't not request it on NetGalley (or preorder it because I mean have you seen that cover?!). There's blood magic, a serial killer, a villainous heroine on a revenge quest, polyamory, and it's written by a trans Filipino-American author. This book had the potential to be a favorite of the year, and while it wasn't quite that I do think it had a lot of potential and I am so intrigued to see where the rest of this series goes.
I think most of my issues with this book stem from it being a debut. There are some pacing issues, specifically there were some plot beats that felt like they were barely touched on before moving on to the next thing and I would have loved to see more of those developments on page rather than fast forwarding through it. That being said, I really liked this book.
The story is alternately told from the perspectives of Shan and Samuel, who are the daughter of a disgraced Blood Worker with Plans for revenge and a bastard heir who stumbles into a game of politics he is completely unprepared for. I loved both of them so much. They are both very driven and complex. I also loved seeing how they interacted with the non POV characters and I would have loved to see even more of them. Shan's twin brother is Unblooded (nonmagical) and I loved seeing their relationship throughout the story because it's clear that while Shan loves and cares about her brother, she does not understand him. Shan's brother's lover, Bart, works with Shan as part of her information network, which I wanted to see more of. And then there's Isaac. Oh Isaac. He was a childhood friend of Shan's until he was promoted to the king's Royal Blood Worker and when he ends up back in Shan's life, there are Feelings. I love him.
This world is really cool. Thematically, the exploration of "othering" and systematic oppression doesn't feel new but it still feels relevant and I liked the take Enright had on those themes. I loved the casual transness of Isaac and the way he was able to use his magic to transition. Also the commentary on inequality there because Isaac is able to do this because of his status where Unblooded/nonmagical people wouldn't have the same access to healthcare.
I think as a whole, I just wanted more. There were so many fascinating plot elements that I just think we weren't able to spend enough time on that I hope to see more of in later books in this trilogy.
Black Tide Son by H.M. Long
3.5
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Another solid entry into this pirate fantasy. While this isn't a new favorite series, I do love how cozy the world is. The story is action packed and full of twists and turns and old magic and the looming threat of war. I really appreciate how Long created a world that feels familiar and lived in, yet still has me wanting to learn more.
This book dives a bit further into the romance between Mary and Samuel, and I found that I appreciated set up in book 1 much more after seeing some of that pay off here. I also am very intrigued by Benedict. He has made some objectively awful decisions but the magical corruption (and hopefully forthcoming redemption/atonement arc?) is really fascinating and the epilogue has me intrigued by where his story might go. That being said, I still think the characters are the least interesting part of this series, which is probably why I'm left feeling rather middle of the road about it because I tend to be a character driven reader.
Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin both give the excellent performances I have come to expect from them.
Another solid entry into this pirate fantasy. While this isn't a new favorite series, I do love how cozy the world is. The story is action packed and full of twists and turns and old magic and the looming threat of war. I really appreciate how Long created a world that feels familiar and lived in, yet still has me wanting to learn more.
This book dives a bit further into the romance between Mary and Samuel, and I found that I appreciated set up in book 1 much more after seeing some of that pay off here. I also am very intrigued by Benedict. He has made some objectively awful decisions but the magical corruption (and hopefully forthcoming redemption/atonement arc?) is really fascinating and the epilogue has me intrigued by where his story might go. That being said, I still think the characters are the least interesting part of this series, which is probably why I'm left feeling rather middle of the road about it because I tend to be a character driven reader.
Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin both give the excellent performances I have come to expect from them.
The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
3.0
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I think this is 100% a case of "it's not the book, it's me" here. I love the premise. A sci-fi locked room thriller but make it Hamlet and also gay, literally everything about this book screamed new favorite. And I was left... bored?
I want to believe it came down to my reading experience. I picked it up via audio in a rather busy time of my life so I found myself only listening a little bit at a time over a longer period of time than it usually takes me to read a book, so I was never able to sink into the narrative the way I would have wanted to. I also think that some of the narrative structure would have worked better reading with my eyes rather than via audio. Though Catherine Ho narrates and I have historically loved her work. So while this didn't 100% work for me, I will absolutely be trying this again at some point and reading it physically when I have more time to dedicate to the story.
As it is, there was a lot to love here. I liked the narrative voice a lot and will absolutely be checking out any more of Em X. Liu's work. I was impressed by the imaginative nature of the work and the way Liu wove in sci-fi elements throughout the story. This is ambitious and intriguing and I want so badly to love it.
I think this is 100% a case of "it's not the book, it's me" here. I love the premise. A sci-fi locked room thriller but make it Hamlet and also gay, literally everything about this book screamed new favorite. And I was left... bored?
I want to believe it came down to my reading experience. I picked it up via audio in a rather busy time of my life so I found myself only listening a little bit at a time over a longer period of time than it usually takes me to read a book, so I was never able to sink into the narrative the way I would have wanted to. I also think that some of the narrative structure would have worked better reading with my eyes rather than via audio. Though Catherine Ho narrates and I have historically loved her work. So while this didn't 100% work for me, I will absolutely be trying this again at some point and reading it physically when I have more time to dedicate to the story.
As it is, there was a lot to love here. I liked the narrative voice a lot and will absolutely be checking out any more of Em X. Liu's work. I was impressed by the imaginative nature of the work and the way Liu wove in sci-fi elements throughout the story. This is ambitious and intriguing and I want so badly to love it.
The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons
2.5
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Jenn Lyons' Chorus of Dragons is one of my all time favorite series, so when I learned that her next release would be a standalone heist set in a world run by dragons it immediately became my most anticipated release of 2024. And no one is more disappointed than me that I didn't love this. I'm giving it 3 stars because it physically hurts me to think I would rate it lower but in actuality it's probably a 2.
Listen, this isn't a bad book and maybe my expectations were too high but I struggled through the first 50% of this. I actually listened to the first 20% at least 3 times trying to figure out if I was missing plot elements or if there were actually jumps in the narrative making aspects of the plot feel too rushed. The world is fascinating but I think Lyons suffers from trying to include too much in her work and while that worked for me when she had a 5-book series to flesh out some elements, in a standalone there just wasn't enough time. The world is fascinating and queer normative, including casual trans representation and a burgeoning polycule between three of our main characters. The various cultures and dragon overlords are intriguing.
What is most disappointing to me, however, is how hard I found it to connect to the characters. Khirin, Teraeth, and Janel are some of my favorite fictional characters of all time and while there were hints of the loveable and multidimensional characters I know Lyons can create here, I just never really cared about any of them or what they were doing.
Lauren Fortgang's narration is quite good. Those who have listened to Lyons' other work will recognize her work on the last four Chorus of Dragons audiobooks.
Jenn Lyons' Chorus of Dragons is one of my all time favorite series, so when I learned that her next release would be a standalone heist set in a world run by dragons it immediately became my most anticipated release of 2024. And no one is more disappointed than me that I didn't love this. I'm giving it 3 stars because it physically hurts me to think I would rate it lower but in actuality it's probably a 2.
Listen, this isn't a bad book and maybe my expectations were too high but I struggled through the first 50% of this. I actually listened to the first 20% at least 3 times trying to figure out if I was missing plot elements or if there were actually jumps in the narrative making aspects of the plot feel too rushed. The world is fascinating but I think Lyons suffers from trying to include too much in her work and while that worked for me when she had a 5-book series to flesh out some elements, in a standalone there just wasn't enough time. The world is fascinating and queer normative, including casual trans representation and a burgeoning polycule between three of our main characters. The various cultures and dragon overlords are intriguing.
What is most disappointing to me, however, is how hard I found it to connect to the characters. Khirin, Teraeth, and Janel are some of my favorite fictional characters of all time and while there were hints of the loveable and multidimensional characters I know Lyons can create here, I just never really cared about any of them or what they were doing.
Lauren Fortgang's narration is quite good. Those who have listened to Lyons' other work will recognize her work on the last four Chorus of Dragons audiobooks.
Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long
3.5
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I had started this audiobook at some point last summer and bounced off of it pretty hard, but I am glad I gave it another chance! Set in a vaguely historical fantasy world, Dark Water Daughter is full of swashbuckling adventure, magic, deathless pirates, and fascinating worldbuilding. Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin deliver excellent performances as always.
The plot is fast paced and action packed and I loved the magic system and world that Long created. It all felt very fleshed out and exciting, which I think made the main characters feel even more flat. Both Mary and Samuel have interesting backstories and internal conflicts, but I found it hard to connect to them and even harder to connect to secondary characters, which left me feeling less invested in some of the conflict and resolution.
While not a new favorite, I do think this is a really solid pirate fantasy and would recommend. I am interested in seeing where the sequel Black Tide Son goes.
I had started this audiobook at some point last summer and bounced off of it pretty hard, but I am glad I gave it another chance! Set in a vaguely historical fantasy world, Dark Water Daughter is full of swashbuckling adventure, magic, deathless pirates, and fascinating worldbuilding. Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin deliver excellent performances as always.
The plot is fast paced and action packed and I loved the magic system and world that Long created. It all felt very fleshed out and exciting, which I think made the main characters feel even more flat. Both Mary and Samuel have interesting backstories and internal conflicts, but I found it hard to connect to them and even harder to connect to secondary characters, which left me feeling less invested in some of the conflict and resolution.
While not a new favorite, I do think this is a really solid pirate fantasy and would recommend. I am interested in seeing where the sequel Black Tide Son goes.
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
3.5
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I adored A Dowry of Blood when I first read it so I was excited to see S.T. Gibson's take on Carmilla even though the dark academia aspect made me less excited about this work. An Education in Malice takes place in a remote Massachusetts boarding school in the 1960s and features the loneliness and sapphic yearning of the original.
Laura Sheridan is the new girl from small town Mississippi and gets drawn into the obsessive relationship between Carmilla, her academic rival, and their poetry professor De Lafontaine. I struggled getting into this book. Where A Dowry of Blood pulled me in right away with the atmosphere and prose, An Education in Malice had a lot of info dumps and some wishy-washy world building that left me pretty bored and then once I finally became invested in the plot, I felt like it wrapped up too quickly.
What I appreciate most about Gibson's work both here and in A Dowry of Blood, is the thematic explorations. This take on vampires really highlights the sensuality and power dynamics involved in traditional vampire lore.
Overall, I don't think this is a bad book but I think I had set my expectations too high after loving their first book, and I don't think this fully executed as successfully as A Dowry of Blood did.
I adored A Dowry of Blood when I first read it so I was excited to see S.T. Gibson's take on Carmilla even though the dark academia aspect made me less excited about this work. An Education in Malice takes place in a remote Massachusetts boarding school in the 1960s and features the loneliness and sapphic yearning of the original.
Laura Sheridan is the new girl from small town Mississippi and gets drawn into the obsessive relationship between Carmilla, her academic rival, and their poetry professor De Lafontaine. I struggled getting into this book. Where A Dowry of Blood pulled me in right away with the atmosphere and prose, An Education in Malice had a lot of info dumps and some wishy-washy world building that left me pretty bored and then once I finally became invested in the plot, I felt like it wrapped up too quickly.
What I appreciate most about Gibson's work both here and in A Dowry of Blood, is the thematic explorations. This take on vampires really highlights the sensuality and power dynamics involved in traditional vampire lore.
Overall, I don't think this is a bad book but I think I had set my expectations too high after loving their first book, and I don't think this fully executed as successfully as A Dowry of Blood did.