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emmaraeempowered's reviews
411 reviews
Everfair: A Novel by Nisi Shawl
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
I'm sad to say I don't think I enjoy Shawl's writing. This is my 2nd novel I've attempted to read from them. I have enjoyed their short stories...but something about the novels I just can't progress.
I think specifically with this story being about Congo and a reimagining of Beligums genocide there I was really expecting more povs from Congolese people and less from British or French people. I get why the perspectives are there...but just not what I thought this was going to be.
The writing is very slow and idk if it's the descriptions or what but I loose interest before I've read a full page.
I think specifically with this story being about Congo and a reimagining of Beligums genocide there I was really expecting more povs from Congolese people and less from British or French people. I get why the perspectives are there...but just not what I thought this was going to be.
The writing is very slow and idk if it's the descriptions or what but I loose interest before I've read a full page.
Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer
3.5
I would consider myself a fan of Jeff VanderMeer yet I could not find myself being a fan of Veniss Underground. I had a hard time visualizing most of this which is funny because in the afterward he talks about when he was first writing this story and how he couldn't visualize a certain place (I'll let you find out what place). That was oddly affirming that while the author had a very intense setting picked out he also couldn't picture it at first.
I also struggled with the gore. Normally I can read very gory things but something about this literally would make my stomach turn. Which honestly is a good point toward this book because those parts were very descriptive and vivid in my mind.
The aspect that I enjoyed most about this was the POVs and how they switched from one to the other. The beginning we are with Nicholas, then his twin sister Nicola, and then Nicola's ex Shadrach. It felt like a relay of the story. Each character showing you something different, new motivations, new aspects on the world, a totally different feel between them all. I think this enhanced the story so so much.
All in all it was a good read. I'm glad I read it to expand on how much of VanderMeer's catalog I've read. I'm looking forward to picking up Ambergris by him hopefully soon.
I also struggled with the gore. Normally I can read very gory things but something about this literally would make my stomach turn. Which honestly is a good point toward this book because those parts were very descriptive and vivid in my mind.
The aspect that I enjoyed most about this was the POVs and how they switched from one to the other. The beginning we are with Nicholas, then his twin sister Nicola, and then Nicola's ex Shadrach. It felt like a relay of the story. Each character showing you something different, new motivations, new aspects on the world, a totally different feel between them all. I think this enhanced the story so so much.
All in all it was a good read. I'm glad I read it to expand on how much of VanderMeer's catalog I've read. I'm looking forward to picking up Ambergris by him hopefully soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Suicide, Murder
Neverwraith by Arianna Isabella
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 3%.
I didn't notice this book is 1,000 pages until I looked down at the percentage on my Kindle. I received this as an arc.
The writing doesn't make much sense. In the beginning I had trouble understanding where characters were(ex. There's a sword fight but the two main characters have time to pause and talk? Even one of them pausing to place his hand on the others shoulder?) and what anyone's motivation was. It seemed like haste and drama was trying to be expressed...but what soecifically? Idk.
I was annoyed with the introduction of the dragons. It was pointed out quickly that Smee knowing a dragon on a first name basis was a really big deal. But then a page later we are introduced to more dragons only by their first names! So is it a big deal or no? What are the dragons full names?
Other editing issues like Mournblade suddenly finding out Smee has a daughter and being totally shook by this info and yet somehow in the next sentence knowing his daughter's name. That doesn't make sense.
I rarely read 1,000 page books and if I'm going to I have to know that I enjoy the authors writing. Especially after reading reviews that say this somehow leaves off on a cliff hanger?? I think this needs rounds of editing and made to be a series or something. No way a thousand page book should leave on a cliffhanger.
The writing doesn't make much sense. In the beginning I had trouble understanding where characters were(ex. There's a sword fight but the two main characters have time to pause and talk? Even one of them pausing to place his hand on the others shoulder?) and what anyone's motivation was. It seemed like haste and drama was trying to be expressed...but what soecifically? Idk.
I was annoyed with the introduction of the dragons. It was pointed out quickly that Smee knowing a dragon on a first name basis was a really big deal. But then a page later we are introduced to more dragons only by their first names! So is it a big deal or no? What are the dragons full names?
Other editing issues like Mournblade suddenly finding out Smee has a daughter and being totally shook by this info and yet somehow in the next sentence knowing his daughter's name. That doesn't make sense.
I rarely read 1,000 page books and if I'm going to I have to know that I enjoy the authors writing. Especially after reading reviews that say this somehow leaves off on a cliff hanger?? I think this needs rounds of editing and made to be a series or something. No way a thousand page book should leave on a cliffhanger.