starrysteph's reviews
411 reviews

Barda by Ngozi Ukazu

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4.0

I had a lovely time with Barda! 

While it was a relatively straightforward young adult plot (Big Barda begins to question and move against the cruel oppressive society she has been tortured into loving), the artwork really popped and I was completely delighted & engaged. 

I did feel like the pacing was a little funky – we’re building up to a romance, but I found the side characters (namely, Barda’s fellow Furies) to be super interesting. I would have loved to linger in their relationships and learn more about their backstories. AND we could have spent more time stretching out Barda’s arc towards compassion. This was under 200 pages and I think it could have been a good chunk longer.

CW: death/murder, torture, violence, fire, confinement, kidnapping, child abuse

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

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challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The Blonde Dies First was a demonic slasher, sure — but it was also a love letter to Brooklyn, a story about sisterhood & growing up with a friend group, a celebration of owning your own value & awesomeness.

Joelle Wellington is for sure cemented for me as a thriller LEGEND and autobuy author. 

Devon has a plan: she’s going to make her last summer with her twin sister Drew (who’s graduating a full year early) the Best Summer Ever. But when the twins and their charmingly chaotic friend group get a little too cozy with a Ouija board, they’re soon in mortal danger. A terrifying demon is hunting them down one by one … in slasher kill order. That means blonde Devon will be the first to die, and her crush Yaya is the Final Girl – unless they manage to get ahead of the monster.

Devon and each member of her group of friends are so beautifully characterized. They all have their quirks & flaws, but they all know they can lean on each other and will be by each other’s side no matter what. Devon & Drew have a lot of tension and things left unsaid, and their sisterhood arc was painfully relatable. They both hold on tight to a lot of assumptions about the other, and have to learn how to reconnect and see the other as a full human rather.

If you love sapphic pining, you’ll be head over heels for Devon and Yaya. I didn’t know whether to sob or squeal about Devon’s decade-long crush that seems to be obvious to everyone except Yaya. Their whole friend group is pretty queer overall, though, too! 

I mentioned this was a love letter to Brooklyn - and it absolutely is - but it’s also a love letter to horror movies, especially classic slasher films. It’s very meta in a very fun way, and our characters pick apart and challenge the tropes and expectations of the genre.

The pacing sometimes slowed down awkwardly, but there was something pulling me into every scene. The horror scenes were great, and there was lots of fun humor scattered during and in between the scares. I ended up FLYING through this book in just two sittings. 

It’s good campy fun, it unapologetically challenges racism & classism in all sorts of insidious forms, and it’s got one of the best ensemble casts out there. You’ll root for everyone and keep turning pages!

CW: murder, death (parent/child), racism, classism, stalking, blood, adult/minor flirting, drug use

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)

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Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Never Whistle At Night was a bone-chilling, somber, dangerous, and engaging compilation of Indigenous horror short stories.

Some were ferocious and deadly, others were folkloric and gothic, some spun the story around to illustrate the quiet horrors of real life, and others chose to end with a note of hope.

There were SO many interesting styles highlighted here. If you saw me add a lot of books to my TBR from the authors here at a dangerous pace … you’ll be doing that, too!! Pick this one up.

I am not totally clear on all of the decisions made on the order of stories - sometimes there were really jarring shifts, but on the other hand there were a few in a row that got jumbled together in my head because they were similar in tone & theme and quite sad.

But … wow. This was a great collection.

(These are some general CW, but other wonderful reviewers have laid them out story by story.) 

CW: racism, child abuse, death (child/parent), body horror, gore, rape, torture, cannibalism, pedophilia, colonization, xenophobia, religious bigotry, physical/emotional abuse, animal death, genocide, racism, hate crime, cultural appropriation, guns, grief, mental illness, forced institutionalization, psychosis, self harm, classism, sexism, miscarriage, alcoholism

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To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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adventurous challenging tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath was an intricate, grounded, and engaging story with a main character that you’ll support through anything.

We follow Anequs, a young Indigenous woman who is happy with her way of life on the island of Masquapaug – until her world shifts when a dragon hatchling bonds to her. Indigenous dragons (and their bonded humans known as Nampeshiwesit) haven’t been seen in generations, but the Anglish conquerors of the mainland have very particular ideas of how dragons must be raised and controlled.

Anequs must enroll in an Anglish school or her dragon will be killed. She goes with her head held high and a fierce determination. Though the academics are wildly different from her own knowledge and ‘polite’ societal expectations baffle her, Anequs never gives up. She and her dragon have a great amount of power and are in a unique position to start shifting their world.

The book takes place in an alternate version of our world (specifically New England) - with some added magic and dragons - but it is a story of colonization and racism and resistance that is very real. Anequs faces cruelty and violence, and has to learn how to hold her own power in a world dominated by the Anglish.

Anequs is an absolute delight of a main character. She never lessens herself or accepts things without questions or challenges. She has a lot of growth and learns a lot, but she never shifts who she is.

The supporting characters were all quite interesting as well, though all of them have a lot more growing to do. From her sole fellow Indigenous student who has no connection to his people to her well-meaning but ignorant roommate to the female heads of the school, everyone had fascinating journeys and backstories. I also absolutely loved the neurodivergent representation of one of her classmates. Fidgets in a fantasy world? Obsessed. 

There’s a super interesting magic system here, akin to chemistry but also math. Unfortunately I am terrible at comprehending both of those subjects (the way Anequs eventually connects the dots was my favorite moment of the book and helped me, too), but I thought it was incredibly unique. 

I think that the story does occasionally get stuck in the details (paragraphs of in-class lectures and textbooks) and that the plot sometimes bends awkwardly to allow Anequs to escape unscathed from every situation where she speaks boldly & truthfully, but overall this was fantastic. 

I strongly recommend it, especially for dragon lovers craving interesting fantasy books! I can’t wait for book two.

CW: racism, colonization, ableism, classism, xenophobia, sexism, violence, guns, genocide, hate crime, homophobia, slavery, death (parent), murder, fire, war, animal death, religious bigotry

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Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“None house, with left grief” is only the tip of the meme iceberg in this one. 

It was a ride! I had fun. If you’re confused, trust your gut - you’ll probably be spot on. 

CW: death (parent/child), murder, mental illness, gore, body horror, grief, psychosis, vomit, guns, suicide, self harm, gaslighting, panic attacks, medical trauma, genocide, cannibalism, abuse, torture, fire, terminal illness, infertility
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Celestial Monsters tosses us right back into the world of The Sunbearer Trials – and the end to this colorful & charming duology did not disappoint.

Teo and his friends are forced to go on a monster-filled quest to return the sun and stop the chaos. Their crew doesn’t have much time, and they’re still reeling from the betrayal of a friend, the guilt of putting the world in danger … and the start of a romance. 

Just like in The Sunbearer Trials, I deeply appreciated how inclusive this journey was. I teared up a few times while reading just thinking about how meaningful this story will be to so many young readers. While the heavy-handedness of some topics may be a bit off-putting to adults, I think both the clarity and optimism around a queernormative magical world working on reshaping their societal structures was perfect. 

And the world expanded to be even more delightful! Beyond the magic and fun and incorporation of Mexican mythology, there’s also some beautiful community care and futuristic ways of building societies here (avoiding violence and prioritizing hearing from all voices). That was awesome.

I think my biggest stumble has to be with Teo. It kind of felt like he’d done it all already - like, checkmark on his growth - and I wish that wasn’t the case. He had a wonderful arc in the first book, and I’m not sure why he plateaued here. Xio and Aurelio and Niya all felt like they had much bigger arcs (some of them actually happened too rapidly), and I wonder what it would have been like to have Niya as a narrator. I was really interested in her worldview and maturation here. 

Aurelio had an equally big shift, but we get to puzzle through that through Teo’s eyes. And Xio was a little bit of a mess (some decisions felt like plot decisions rather than in-character choices - and it all happened way too quickly). 

It also felt like their journey was a tad too easy with their godly gifts and tools. I wanted them to face more challenges and figure out how to work together and combine their strengths as a team.

I think, overall, most of my issues were that this felt like a trilogy (or even longer series) that was condensed. The arcs were awesome in theory and a bit awkwardly fast on the page. 

But the villains were deliciously villain-y, the world expansion was wonderful, and I loved getting more of our fierce little group of semidioses. The romance is super cute. There will be moments that crush your heart, but the ending and epilogue were very sweet. 

Yay for an ending that challenges the status quo! 

CW: death (parent/child), blood, violence, torture, fire

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
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The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins was a quick-moving novella filled with clever, fleshed-out characters set in a captivating fantastical world.

Eveen is a resurrected assassin - one of the best in Tal Abisi - and serves her guild with skill, discretion, and a bit of humor. Like everyone else brought back from the dead to serve the Matron of Assassins, she has no memory of her past life and has sworn to follow three unbreakable vows.

She’s never had any trouble carrying out her contracts … until her latest mark sparks a memory. Eveen can either do her job or start to untangle the threads of her past, with the risk of losing everything.

Tal Abisi came to life on these pages. It’s a mix of humans, magic, and gods, and I felt incredibly grounded in its streets. The story takes place during a festival weekend, and we get to weave through celebrations and costumes and luxury, but also see what lurks in the corners and undergrounds. There’s both otherworldly magical legends and class structures that feel very close to home. It’s so very lush for just 200 or so pages.

The characters were all great fun. This book is action-packed and often dark, but Eveen’s narration brings a charming levity to the story. She’s funny, a bit immature at times, and is super easy to root for. The secondary characters - fellow assassins, gods, and magicians alike - were all compelling, too.

Through magic and mayhem (and immersive descriptions of food and clothing), Clark tackled some darker and larger themes involving power structures and abuse of marginalized bodies. But he entwines these with playfulness and good ole revenge that keeps it from tipping too far into grimness and despair.

Sometimes the pace did drag a bit awkwardly and the writing was occasionally repetitive, but overall it was wonderful.

CW: murder, death (child), gore, blood, violence, torture, kidnapping

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Prince and Assassin wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I had fun & would recommend it to anyone who wants a light romance fantasy to dive into. 

Whisper has been raised to be an elite assassin, forced to successfully complete assignments or face his own death thanks to the blood magic that controls him. He’s never had trouble with a job, until he has to infiltrate playboy Prince Julien’s court. When Whisper and Julien start to get tangled up in something real, he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to pull this off, especially since there’s more than his life on the line this time. 

It was insta-lovey, and the world and characters felt pretty cookie cutter. You could see the antagonist and plot “twists” from a mile away, and many of the story elements were too convenient. 

But. I loved the fellcats. I would die for the fellcats. I would read 3000 more books about the fellcats. 

(The fellcats are basically talking magical tigers with attitudes.)

CW: murder, kidnapping, torture, animal cruelty/death, blood, war, child abuse, sexual harassment, xenophobia, sexual content

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The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar

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adventurous emotional hopeful sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain was a very poignant little piece that definitely made me hunger for more from Sofia Samatar. 

It’s a tiny book, so even a full summary feels like a lot here, but a brief overview: a child who has always lived beneath the ship among the Chained is brought up to the elite through a scholarship program. The professor who pulled him upstairs can’t quite seem to find her footing in academia, and the two of them together start to unlock the metaphorical chains of their world. 

This novella tackles systemic oppression and the fight for dignity when you are forced again and again to the bottom of the hierarchy. It reminded me quite a lot of An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon, which also takes place on a spaceship with a caste system organized physically onboard. 

It reads like a parable - and I often felt myself yearning for something a little more grounded - but I think it offers a lovely conversation starter.

It’s dark yet optimistic, nuanced, and thoughtful. It’s a warm hug to all the dreamers in our world who can see that transformation is possible through community. It’s an ode to power in solidarity.

CW: death (parent/child), slavery, confinement, panic attacks, police brutality, trafficking, classism, colonization

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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Stardust Grail was indeed a thrilling anti-colonial space heist – and the action and exploration made me SWEAT. But what really touched me were the conversations around home, love, and our tiny space as humans in the universe.

We follow Maya, a former art thief (she returned looted alien artifacts to their civilizations) who is now busy on Earth studying to receive her graduate degree in anthropology. Maya was born on another planet and is considered Infected, meaning she has visions of past and future through migraines thanks to an alien virus she caught as a child. She thinks she’s ready for a quiet life - until one of her oldest and dearest friends reaches out with a lead on a powerful alien object that has been lost to the universe. 

They set out with a small team, but Maya’s visions warn her of betrayal and extinction, and they’re also not the only ones on the hunt for the stardust grail.

Maya grapples with xenophobia from those who view her as a curious off-planet creature, and also sits with her own feelings leaning away from an anthropocentric view of the universe. Her team is faced with massive moral and ethical dilemmas concerning the fates of many species, and readers are left with a lot of lingering philosophical questions.

Zooming in a bit, though, one of the strongest aspects of the book was its focus on love and friendships in all of their forms. Maya and her friend Auncle care very deeply about each other, but they are from different worlds and there are some gaps that will always be there. Their love for each other - through every barrier - was lovely to read about. (And shout out to Pickle, too! I want more of Pickle.)

Each character is brilliantly crafted. We have Maya figuring out her identity & life goals, Auncle who doesn’t quite understand humans but craves that connection, Medix who has escaped the boundaries of AI and wants more and more, Wil who would have once been an enemy and now challenges the group, and a handful more eccentric voices.

The battle scenes were intense, but the much scarier scenes (dipping into horror towards the end) involved landing and navigating new places. It reminded me a bit of Annihilation, where so much seemed to be happening just out of our eyesight and the plants and creatures challenged my imagination. 

The Stardust Grail involves impossible choices. It imagines and dissects communal existence. It challenges utopia, and suggests that everyone has a bit of darkness. It encourages us to imagine an intergalactic community, with all of the messiness of our differing Earth communities. It’s also cautiously, sweetly, optimistic. 

I was charmed. Yume Kitasei crushes it once again!!

CW: death, genocide, war, colonization, pandemic, suicidal thoughts, guns, torture, blood, vomit, gore, excrement, infertility, xenophobia, chronic illness, confinement, grief, ableism, fire, medical content

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)