THE THINGS WE CANNOT SAY

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

I liked this one as a romance novel but it really didn't feel all that historical imo. I liked the dual narrative and seeing how they connected but I am meh about the historical aspects of it.

I think the synopsis is a little misleading because it focuses so much on Alice's life and the modern setting. The historical aspect felt like an afterthought. In all honesty, it could have easily just been a romance novel of like a grandmother telling her story and a granddaughter living her life and it would have had the same impact, but probably resonated better.

I was waiting for the WW2 aspects to be more fleshed out and really truly delivered to us but they just weren't there. It felt like there was a war in the background and while that made the characters move around and do what they did, it didn't really impact them. We knew that nothing too bad was going to happen and while a lot of it was heartbreaking, it wasn't a war love story but a love story with a background war.

I didn't really like or connect to a lot of the characters but I definitely hated Alice's husband and I hated that she conceeded to him so often, especially at the end. He was a terrible father, supporter, and provider and straight women shouldn't have to deal with shit like that.

Overall, I'm not sure if I would recommend it if you're looking for historical fiction, but if you want a heartbreaking love story with some modern aspects, this is definitely the book for you!

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab

What are some Adult SFF series you love?

THE SCHOLAR

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This one was okay. I think if it hadn't been for the fact that I had to read it for the book club, I probably wouldn't have (1) picked it up or (2) finished it.

It was kind of disappointing to me because really I just needed to read the first couple chapters to get the gist of what was going on, maybe one or two chapters in the middle, and then the last five chapters and that's it.

Which is pretty par for the course for mystery/detective novels, but still really disappointing. There was no big "twist" or anything - it was all pretty predictable.

I thought that the semi-queer bait of lesbians was not in good taste though. I thought the fact that it was said because a man was rejected and then it wasn't really proven one way or the other and then said casually like "well they COULD have been lesbians" was really off putting. Either commit to lesbians or leave that section out.

Overall, I am not sure I would recommend this - and while it was a standalone, I'm sure there would have been more context to this story if I had read the first one. This is a meh from me!

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?

KINGSBANE

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

See what I thought of FURYBORN!

The last bit of the book was really interesting and had a lot of great aspects but everything leading up to that kinda just felt like filler. I feel like it could have been half the length and still done all the same things. Which is a tad disappointing to me. But I'm looking forward to the next one to see how everything comes together a bit more.

I loved the world-building and seeing more of what we had in the first novel. I liked the way that magic expanded in this one so we could see the extent and limitations of what the Queens were able to do. I thought it was a good set up for the next novel.

But that was my main issue: this was a set up novel. It definitely doesn't stand on its own merit but acts as a catalyst for what comes next. And that's fine, but I would have liked some more loose ends tied up and a solid storyline throughout this one that made sense.

I was feeling as though I didn't really have to listen to the middle of this one and could have just read the last 5 or so chapters and been ready for the next book. It felt too much like filler instead of giving more information that would get us ready for the next one.

But I absolutely love this series and am so excited to see how it continues onward!

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

THE SEEP

Author: Chana Porter

Series: N/A

Source: eARC via Publisher

Publisher: Soho Press

Publication Date: January 21, 2020

Summary:

A blend of searing social commentary and speculative fiction, Chana Porter’s fresh, pointed debut is perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer and Carmen Maria Machado.

Trina Goldberg-Oneka is a fifty-year-old trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle—but nonetheless world-changing—invasion by an alien entity called The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls, hierarchies and barriers are broken down; if something can be imagined, it is possible.

Trina and her wife, Deeba, live blissfully under The Seep’s utopian influence—until Deeba begins to imagine what it might be like to be reborn as a baby, which will give her the chance at an even better life. Using Seeptech to make this dream a reality, Deeba moves on to a new existence, leaving Trina devastated.

Heartbroken and deep into an alcoholic binge, Trina follows a lost boy she encounters, embarking on an unexpected quest. In her attempt to save him from The Seep, she will confront not only one of its most avid devotees, but the terrifying void that Deeba has left behind. A strange new elegy of love and loss, The Seep explores grief, alienation, and the ache of moving on.

Purchase:

Amazon | Indiebound | B&N

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Read my interview with Chana Porter!

So I really liked this one and how things came together. I wish it had been a little longer and explored some of the ideas a little bit more. There were some interesting conversations to be had around gender, race, and identity that were only scratched at during the course of the novel. And while it's perfectly okay to not have them be the central focus, it felt like the author wanted them to be but was given some pushback about it. But I definitely recommend this one! Such an interesting take on what it means to be human.

I loved Trina as a character. She called people out on their bullshit and knew when she was being the bullshitter as well. It was so amazing to see a trans* character who was also in a loving relationship and treated with such respect! I was so here for it. I loved her attitude, her generosity, and the way she felt so real.

I would have liked this to be about 100-150 pages longer so that we could have explored the world a little bit more. While it was set in our world, it was our world with different rules. I wanted to learn more about the Seep's influence and how it affected all areas - I wanted to explore more of the communes and all that jazz. I think there was another really interesting novel in this that we didn't get to see. But I am hopeful that Porter will write another novel set in the same universe so we can learn more (maybe about Deeba as a baby??).

I am going to start adding this book to every recommendation list I make for Science Fiction novels because I enjoyed it so much. And finished it in like 2 hours. I definitely recommend this if you're looking to expand your speculative fiction to think about benevolent aliens and what it means to have an overseer who just loves you but isn't always quite sure how to express that.

Pick this one up if you haven't already!

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?