I can’t resist an underwater setting for a story – there are so many more elements that can go wrong, life is a little more vulnerable beneath the surface. ‘The Dive‘ looks like it checks all the boxes, an underwater mystery thriller guaranteed to take your breath away.
Do you have go-to tropes or story elements?
Finding out who you are – flaws and all.
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT+
No. of pages: 321
Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He’s a Fractional Persian – half, his mom’s side – and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.
Darius has never really fit in at home, and he’s sure things are going to be the same in Iran. His clinical depression doesn’t exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. Soon, they’re spending their days together, playing soccer, eating faludeh, and talking for hours on a secret rooftop overlooking the city’s skyline. Sohrab calls him Darioush – the original Persian version of his name – and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he’s Darioush to Sohrab.
Adib Khorram’s brilliant debut is for anyone who’s ever felt not good enough – then met a friend who makes them feel so much better than okay.
I’ve had a lot of friends recommend this novel to me over the years, and I’m glad I finally caved and nabbed myself a copy (and its sequel.) ‘Darius The Great Is Not Okay’ is a sensitive tale about cultural identity, mental illness, and a little bit on sexual identity, and the social constructs of those in different social situations, in two different countries – America and Iran. We get to draw our own conclusions on attitudes of immigrants, and the role of culture and family in identity.
On the surface, we follow Darius as he navigates bullying and depression, reconciling those with both his place in his family and his identity. Being born and raised in America and cut off from their Persian family heritage, Darius has difficulty speaking and understanding Farsi when speaking to his grandparents on Skype, and to his parent’s friends when they gather for cultural events. But bullying at school, being called a terrorist or a member of ISIS, Darius neither feels American, or Persian. Not to mention his emotions and negative thoughts can be dialled up to an 11 at times because of his depression.
Told in first person point of view from Darius’ perspective, we get pepperings of his sarcasm and Star Trek speak which add lightness and humour to the narrative. When the family head off to Iran to visit his ailing grandfather, Darius is suddenly enveloped by family and culture – all the things he felt like he was missing. Even in new found friend Sohrab. It is there, amongst everyone he loves and grows to love, he finds himself and gets to appreciate the culture he never got to fully experience.
There is a lot of great food descriptions in ‘Darius The Great Is Not Okay,’ I can’t tell you how many times I felt hungry just reading this book – and it’s all done so compassionately and full of love. I seriously want to buy a Persian cookbook and put my hand to creating some of the amazing dishes Adib Khorram describes. I got to discover so much about the Persian culture from this novel and it was simply beautiful.
The aspect of family is explored so well in such an understated manner. It really touched my heart. But be warned, this books isn’t all gentle: I needed to pull out the tissues towards the end because of the raw unfiltered emotion that it taps into. This book has a way to talking about topics without stating the obvious – and in that respect it has a certain kind of romance.
I don’t know if I would say this story is predictable, because it’s not really a plot driven piece. This is a character driven story, and the plot merely plays a part in the protagonist arriving at a certain point. I was so enchanted by the story I completely forgot to try and predict what was going to eventuate and just enjoyed the ride. In that respect, the story does feel somewhat simple on the surface. You have to read into the subtext to really pull meaning from this book. The characters are bold and beautiful, culture practically falls from the pages. I really appreciate it for what it is.
I highly recommend this, it’s the story of a softboy discovering and embracing who he is, with no regrets. And I kind of love that. Excited to start reading the sequel ‘Darius The Great Deserves Better’ very soon.
Overall feeling: All the cinnamon rolls!
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Born yesterday 12 year olds go to colonise a planet and fight aliens…
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Mystery
No. of pages: 345
“If it’s war they want, they messed with the wrong girl.”
M. Savage—or Em, as she is called—has made a bewildering and ominous discovery. She and the other young people she was chosen to lead awoke in strange coffins with no memory of their names or their pasts. They faced an empty, unknown place of twisting tunnels and human bones. With only one another to depend on, they searched for answers and found the truth about their terrifying fate. Confronted by a monstrous enemy, they vowed never to surrender—and, by any means, to survive.
The planet Omeyocan may be the sanctuary Em and her comrades seek. But the planet for which they were created turns out not to be a pristine, virgin world. Vestiges of a lost civilization testify to a horrifying past that may yet repeat itself. And when a new enemy creeps from the jungle shadows, Em and her young refugees learn there’s nowhere left to run. They face a simple choice: fight or die.
In the midst of this desperate struggle, their unity is compromised from within—and a dangerous zealot devoted to a bloodthirsty god moves to usurp Em’s command, threatening to lead them all down a path to violent doom.
‘Alight’ turned out better than I was expecting! A group of essentially bio-engineered teens with little personal memory, yet knowledge of their roles in society – husks for older beings thousands of years old to have their consciousness downloaded into them, have become self-aware and escaped in a shuttle craft and landed on a planet that they are expected to colonise. Only when they arrive the city is deserted and overrun with vines and vegetation… and say nothing of the hostile alien animals and microbes. So many things that can kill them, and they are trying to play catch up with essential survival skills and fill in the blank gaps in their memory.
The first half did feel slow. I got a little frustrated at how much the group did not know and I wanted the pace to pick up and the gang learn about their origins, their culture, and work out the mysteries of this alien planet and its inhabitants. In hindsight, I’m glad that first half wasn’t rushed, but when reading, at the time, it was annoying. The second half of the book is like an explosion of pace and plot. Scott Sigler is not afraid of death and carnage. And he has a great imagination of the alien flora and fauna. Not to mention the Aztec/Incan/Mayan culture the group of teens seem to come from.
We do end up getting a lot of answers – not all – but enough that I didn’t feel like my head was going to explode, feeling like I was fumbling in the dark.
‘Alight’ is told from Em’s point of view (like the debut) as the leader of the group. She is constantly battling her gut reactions, arcing emotions, and memory flashes. I like this aspect of her character growth. There is some great conflict and tension between the group of teens – a political power struggle for leadership; and to either fall into or opposed predestined roles in society. It is a twisted coming of age story.
Aramovsky proves to be a fantastic antagonist/adversary and definitely brought all the feels out of me. I really wanted to punch him in the face so many times. But his character, and a few elements of the gangs behaviour is where a little bit of believablility was lost for me. They start to exhibit complex behaviours and reactions – mostly on their own – sometimes from a memory flash, that did not quite marry to their mental and physical development. There is this flux between a fully realised adult and twelve year old child with no memory that plays against the narrative. I feel like they needed more life experience for some things that take place in the novel to have true gravitas.
A lot goes down in ‘Alight,’ but it does not suffer that middle book syndrome. This feels like a solid fully encapsulated story. There are some plot points left hanging, and a great plot twist at the end that has me excited to pick up the last novel in the trilogy ‘Alive’ real soon.
All in all, a fun science fiction dystopia of colonising an alien planet, I’d happily recommend it for the YA demographic, a more mature reader could find the premise a touch flimsy.
Overall feeling: I want to beat (Aramovsky’s) ass!
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Get the eff out of the water dumbass!!
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Adventure
No. of pages: 358
Monsters are real.
Cate Granger and Jack Monroe are enjoying life far away from the deep-sea horrors of their past. But the ghosts still haunt them.
Russian billionaire and former friend, Sonya Borashev, tells them of a newly discovered cave in Antarctica that leads deep beneath the frozen continent. It’s from these icy depths that Sonya believes a remnant species of megalodon shark has been set loose. And that these ancient monsters are not only alive but thriving.
With a recent spate of horrifying attacks, Sonya leads an expedition to put an end to the monsters for good. And she wants Cate and Jack with her – whether they like it or not.
But beneath the dark ice, they uncover things even deadlier, even more dangerous, than they could have ever imagined.
‘Leviathan’ is the final pulse-thumping book in the Cate Granger trilogy – and boy did this one bring it home. I was a little disappointed that we were only getting a trilogy with this franchise, but I’ll take what I can get.
There were so many times I had to stop reading and catch my breath – because I had stopped my lungs from working. Fear. Anxiety. It was palpable reading ‘Leviathan’ and I loved every scary minute of it. I will say the one thing that pulled me out of the narrative – and frustrated me no end – is how the many of the characters repeatedly made stupid decisions. Even in the face of death. It felt more like a cheesy ‘80’s horror movie in parts. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it immensely, because I did, it just ruined the believability for me. With all the science and palaeontology that has gone into this series (even if parts are wildly outlandish and speculative) it had an intelligence about it. And all these silly characters flew in the face of that. I was wanting smarter people battling denizens of the hidden depths.
Again we are not shy of carnage as cast members meet one demise or another. So too are we not short on beasties of all shapes and sizes – usually gargantuan sizes. It was always fun to look up Google images to help paint a picture of the creatures haunting the cast. We didn’t get as many scientific names for the creatures as we did in the last two books, but it wasn’t hard to form a mental picture. Having the large creatures in the hidden depths almost have intelligence and emotion added to the tension of the novel, but sometimes the short chapters from the beast’s perspective almost read comical. I don’t think we really needed them. They didn’t reveal any plot points.
Cate remained her calculated marine biologist self – though it was easy to see the fear and PTSD from her past encounters with the megalodon, and she was even more cautious in ‘Leviathan.’
I enjoyed that I never was really sure how this trilogy was going to end. It’s like Greig is rooting for the meg in the whole series, so you just don’t know what target he’s going to pull the trigger on in the big finale. But I will say his writing style sure knows how to craft an action scene, create a claustrophobic atmosphere and tension like nobody’s business. I’m glad I was reading this from the comfort of my lounge chair… if I read this at the beach or even worse, on a boat, I’d be flinching at every movement and sound. I was on edge!
I like the themes of man vs. nature, of deciding what can be scientifically observed, and what needs to be the heck left alone. And the perseverance of the human spirit.
Maybe I wanted a little more science and wonder built into the narrative, but that would have slowed the pace needed for this thriller. But that’s just the marine biologist in me geeking out.
I’m definitely going to be picking up more from Greig Beck, the way he crafts a thrilling tale has me hooked. A new favourite author added to my list!
I’m eyeing off my next Greig Beck book, and I noticed the first Alex Hunter book premise sounds familiar. I think Cate Granger and crew found the same caves as in that novel. The knife was the clue. I’m excited to find out…
Overall feeling: *shivers violently*
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
I’ve been making a concerted effort to stop buying new books and read the ones I’ve got… it’s working… not as fast as I’d like it to, but the TBR is getting lower. (I swear!)
I’ve been sleeping on this trilogy, so many friends were raving about it when it was first released. It’s been so long now I’ve forgotten what it’s about and I think going in with fresh eyes will give me the same reading experience they had. (I could say that about a lot of series which I’ll be posting about in the coming months.) Isn’t this an OG romantasy?
Do you have a collection of series that have been sitting on your shelves for too long? Are you determined to get to them, or simply un-haul them?
Have you read this trilogy? Am I in for a great time?
Mickey is all that stands between peace and genocide…
Genre: Science Fiction
No. of pages: 304
Summer has come to Niflheim. The lichens are growing, the six-winged bat-things are chirping, and much to his own surprise, Mickey Barnes is still alive―that last part thanks almost entirely to the fact that Commander Marshall believes that the colony’s creeper neighbors are holding an antimatter bomb, and that Mickey is the only one who’s keeping them from using it. Mickey’s just another colonist now. Instead of cleaning out the reactor core, he spends his time these days cleaning out the rabbit hutches. It’s not a bad life.
It’s not going to last.
It may be sunny now, but winter is coming. The antimatter that fuels the colony is running low, and Marshall wants his bomb back. If Mickey agrees to retrieve it, he’ll be giving up the only thing that’s kept his head off of the chopping block. If he refuses, he might doom the entire colony. Meanwhile, the creepers have their own worries, and they’re not going to surrender the bomb without getting something in return. Once again, Mickey finds the fate of two species resting in his hands. If something goes wrong this time, though, he won’t be coming back.
A great follow up to ‘Mickey7’ with a cinematic climax!
Protagonist Mickey has to once again liaise with the intelligent indigenous alien species where his colony has settled and bargain for the return of the antimatter bomb he hid in their tunnels. Of course nothing comes easy and the task turns into a turf war, testing everything that Mickey is made of…
I feel we really get some strong character development from Mickey in ‘Antimatter Blues.’ He really starts to connect with, and take responsibility for all the lives on the planet. The world building is expanded a little further as was explore more terrain and meet more species. Not only that, we get to know the alien bugs we met in ‘Mickey7‘ a little better. All in all, I loved exploring the world and seeing how the characters react and grow when faced with dire consequences.
The pacing is steady throughout, and I completed the novel in 2 sittings. ‘Antimatter Blues’ was such a delight to read. There are moments when the pacing drops off slightly – mainly transitions scenes or those setting up technical or strategical aspects of the plot. I think because Edward Ashton has such a concise and dry writing style, these scenes feel perfunctionary… I don’t know how you could have injected tone or ambience into these occasional parts of the story, but it would have elevated my reading experience to a perfect score.
I wasn’t able to predict this tale at all. Mickey tends to amble through life. His standard modus operandi is reactionary, so you always get plot twists coming at you out of nowhere. Which was so much fun, working out the lay of the land, the stakes, and trying to figure out what Mickey was going to do. I still feel distance between Mickey and many of the other characters in this story, be it because of his nature of being an ‘expendable,’ or his personality, but that was another aspect that I wanted more of. The emotional connection to the other characters.
The story feels complete with this second book in the franchise, though Edward Ashton does leave the door open for the possibility of more stories to come in the world of Mickey7. I wouldn’t be mad at that. I’ve really come to enjoy and treasure these books and characters and would love to read a new adventure.
Definitely a solid recommendation from me. Great concepts and sci-fi goodness. I love the themes of first contact, friendship and loyalty, and the surprising realisation of finding a place where you belong.
Overall feeling: Off-world brilliance
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
DISCUSSION POST: The idiot box vs. the written word
Remember the days when the television would be on in the background because you either have to get up off the couch and use the dial on the set to change the channel, or you lost the remote to that place where one of all your socks disappear to? Remember free-to-air television programming dominated with news and reality shows, or maybe those discussion panels that touch on hot topics to draw in controversy and advertisements with catchy jingles? You’d flick on the tv as soon as you walked in the door and flop on the sofa flipping through channels, or fix yourself a cup of tea. There would be an aspect of mindless viewing where once in a while you’d ask yourself ‘Why am I even watching this?’
The sound of gameshows and newscasters were the soundtrack to my childhood. We didn’t know about carbon dioxide emissions destroying the ozone layer and to save electricity where you could. If you weren’t outside playing with friends or riding your bike around the neighbourhood, being a goody-two-shoes and doing your homework, you were most likely in front of the idiot box on any given day after school. And then that behaviour transitioned to after work routines later in life.
It wasn’t so bad in my life, as I grew up in a small town in the outback and we only received two channels: ABC and SBS. So we’d watch some cartoons and Dr. Who and then leave the lounge, telly still on because the parents had come home and wanted to watch the news. That was signal to do your homework or make yourself scarce because if you made any noise you’d get yelled at. There was no pausing or rewinding of viewing back then.
Adulthood meant moving to the city, a lot more channels and cable services to watch programming and for the first year or two I went hog-wild and was glued to the screen at home. Or I would have the VCR record my shows if I was busy and binge on a Sunday.
Once Australia stopped broadcasting an analogue signal and shifted to digital, it meant all those antennas were pretty much only for birds to perch on and crap all over your tin roof and people moved online.
That’s when things changed for me. Mainly because you had to navigate through menus and options on your smart television to select your viewing pleasure, and you’d get issues with frozen screens and pixilated parts when the internet slowed down or a storm was in the area. And lots of subscription fees.
Now with streaming services you can watch what you want when you want. So all that background noise from my childhood does not exist. I only view a selection of shows, curated by me. And I can view them on any device, anywhere… its purposeful viewing. So all this free time that used to be zombied out, staring at a screen is gone. Instead I use that time to work or read.
I’m more conscious of my screen time. I stare at one all day at work, I’m loath to do that in my free time. I play with my dog, enjoy the great outdoors, and kick back with a good book. I think that’s why I read more now, I don’t have the television on in the background, because my viewing is purposeful. Limited. Curated.
I get asked frequently how am I reading so much, and well, that’s the answer – I have more free time to indulge in reading since streaming services have kicked in. I’m not locked into a certain screening time, of bombarded with advertisements. Sure I have the occasional binge session on weekends now and then, but gone are the days of walking through the door and turning on the telly half out of habit. There was even a good couple of years I didn’t own a flatscreen because I was only watching the occasional show on my laptop.
So streaming services have made things more convenient for me, and as a result I’m reading more. Has there been any changes in your viewing/reading habits from now to 10, or even 20 years ago?
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
A quaint fantastical romance that boarders on harmful…
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBT+
No. of pages: 460
When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.
Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.
As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.
‘A Lady for a Duke’ is a Bridgerton-like romance with Viola, a transgender protagonist.
This was a bit of a double edged sword for me. I appreciated the representation but had difficulty with the character depiction. Our protagonist is painted with a bit of a romanticized/idealized brush (how ironic for a romance novel, I know.) I say this because in most of the novels where the main character is transgender they are always depicted as ‘stealth’ or ‘passing’ and other characters refer to them as beautiful and having attributes as skinny, (petite in some cases), gorgeous long locks, graceful stance… and well you get the picture. It’s setting up the pretence that a trans woman is not a woman unless they are passing or stealth (or skinny and beautiful.) I see it a lot and it is damaging to the transgender community and confirming harmful attitudes towards the transgender community.
Also, even with the tone of the novel modernised for the reader, we’re dealing with a transgender woman in the 1800’s… so a woman in her early 30’s (as depicted in ‘A Lady for a Duke’) with no medical intervention would have to be an outlier or have some sort of medical condition to have escaped the ravages testosterone takes on the body. This is a difficult subject because it’s forcing readers to comment, for opinions on transgender bodies. No-one can tell you how to be transgender. It is a personal experience.
Now with the rant over, Viola was experiencing some body dysphoria, but then completely erased the condition in embracing sex for the first time…. another thing I was struggling with. But it was intriguing to see how she, and her found family, handled the transgender issue. There is a lot to revel in this historical fiction/romance. The relationships are beautiful, the world building is on point. There is tension and angst which I enjoy in my romances. We see many instances where Viola takes her power, which I found thrilling.
I did feel the stakes weren’t that high for Viola, especially being transgender. We never really see the risks of her being discovered – the public’s reaction or legal recourse. It’s alluded to but the reader never really gets to understand the risk. The pacing is slow. But it matches the Regency era the novel is set in – but I can’t lie that I began it skim in parts. The story does feel a little overwritten.
I would also have loved to see the love interest, Justin, struggle with the situation and relationship a little more. He was so accommodating and doting that it felt unreal.
The plot itself is fairly simple, but we see some great character development from the cast of characters.
The sex scene went on for nearly four pages and seemed to be an exercise in consent to educate the reader that felt out of context with the setup of Viola’s trans experience (re: body dysmorphia.) I got over that interaction fast and all of their intimate scenes after that where Viola was the aggressor fell flat for me.
Overall a pleasant read, but one that I had issues with because while I applaud the representation, I think it could have done with a sensitivity reading before publication. I’m torn about whether to recommend this one: it’s a gorgeous little story, if romanticized, but does hit (and gloss over) a few harmful aspects of the transgender experience; and in that respect feels disingenuous.
Overall feeling: messy
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Just live your life to the fullest – for yourself. Period!
A Mash-up of queer Harry Potter and Frozen…
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+
No. of pages: 350
It’s hard enough being gay in high school, but Fay must also deal with hiding his magical ability—powers he barely understands and cannot possibly reveal. His best friend Sam is his only confidante, and even with her help, Fay’s life is barely tolerable.
Everything changes when Janus University, a college for individuals with magical capabilities, discovers the pair. When the university sends a student to test them, Fay and Sam, along with their classmate Tyler, are catapulted headfirst into a world of unimaginable danger and magic. Fay and Tyler begin to see each other as more than friends while they prepare for the Trials, the university’s deadly acceptance process. For the first time, the three friends experience firsthand how wonderful and terrible a world with magic can be, especially when the source of Fay’s power turns out to be far deadlier than anyone imagined.
‘Aspect of Winter’ promises a wild fantasy adventure of battles as protagonist Fay grapples with not only mysterious ice powers, but a crush on a boy as well.
For some reason I thought this was going to be an X-man styled origin story, but instead this is a magical fantasy more in the vein of the boy wizard (you know the one.) But still the premise sounded fascinating, especially with a queer character being the protagonist. I was fully invested to see where the story was going to take me.
There is a lot of mythology here – but none of it is fully explained or delved into, the reader simply has to accept it. So too does the protagonist Feayr ‘Fay’ and his best friend Sam, and crush Tyler. It’s a pity, because I there would have been some great strength in the narrative if the world-building explained the mythology and it’s limits as Fay learned about this new world of magic. Maybe we’ll get deeper exploration and explanation in the following two sequels of the Season’s Rising trilogy.
For the most part this novel feels like a computer game. Great in the fact it has a set structure, challenges to face with a clear goal. Bad in the way that the characters felt a little two dimensional, character motivations weren’t there: I was very aware of the hand of the author guiding the plot throughout ‘Aspect of Winter.’ The story did not unravel organically. The characters felt underdeveloped and seemed to jump in to one predicament or another with very little thought. They were a jumble of adult and juvenile behaviours that I found perplexing and not fully resolved.
There is a lot of imagination with ‘Aspect of Winter.’ The magic casting, the mythological and otherworldly creatures were enthralling. I suspect derivative of some computer games, mythology and quite possibly Dungeons and Dragons. So while I loved it all, there was an element that it was all derivative of something. Again it could be that the writing style is not quite developed enough for the characters and their motivations to drive the plot, or that the world building was not established enough, I guess I’ll uncover more if I continue with this trilogy.
‘Aspect of Winter’ has a lovely plot twist, but it is hinted at so early on in the piece, that I was not surprised. A good editor should have helped so that the story wasn’t spoiled at the outset. Consequently the plot of the novel was easily predictable from the start. There also was a tendency for the author to smooth out tension in the novel quickly. They kept resolving issues between characters that would have been a lot more interesting to leave fester. Tension makes a good reading experience. Making things too easy for the protagonist and his friends just made me eyeroll.
Tom Early has all the tools and qualities in ‘Aspect of Winter’ to make it an outstanding read, they just weren’t executed, or executed effectively. Interesting characters, intriguing premise and mythology, but it didn’t all come together and maintain a cohesive tone and tension throughout.
I’d only recommend this for younger readers who will appreciate the magical action scenes. The characters are easily enough to relate to on a surface level, but I didn’t get a deeper connection with any of them. The story felt too ‘nice.’ I think I’m curious enough to continue on with this series, just to see how the world building develops and if Early’s writing evolves. The next in the Season’s Rising trilogy is ‘The Doorway God.’
The queer represntation was great, though there is no exploration of queer culture at all. We see some issues of bullying, but besides that there is no presentation of support, or clubs, or authority figures, or inspirational figures associated with queer culture at all. It felt like the protagonists queerness, and that of his friends, were in isolation to the rest of the world.
Our protagonist Fay is also meant to have Gaelic ancestry as mentioned with his familiarity with some of the mythological creatures he discovers, but aside from that, his heritage and culture are no longer mentioned or explored. I was like – why mention it if you aren’t going to explore it or make it a part of the narrative? There are so many loose threads left hanging dealing with identity that left me frustrated.
A pleasant read, but not one I’ll be shouting from the rooftops.
Overall feeling: so-so
© Casey Carlisle 2024. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Casey Carlisle 