Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

BLOOD OF ELVES

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

With all the hype around the Netflix series, I decided to give the Witcher books a go. I read the short story "prequels" to this and really thought that they had a good sense of humour and fantasy, so I decided to read the main storyline. As an FYI, this is listed as book one, but it is really book three, and I would recommend the prequel short story collections because it introduces a lot of things that make it easier to make sense of this world.

I liked this one enough, but it didn't blow me away. I found the switching between perspectives to be too much, not extremely well done, and not super necessary. It was a little difficult to follow the story and the way that things were done. But I enjoyed Ciri and learning more about the magic system.

While this story is about the Witcher, it is mostly about everyone else around Geralt in this one. He is there on page, but we switch between perspectives, storylines, and characters so much it is as if he is a background character. I'm not really complaining because I thought some of the other storylines were more interesting (except the political part in the middle there - talk about boring). I just wish that this had a bit more clear transition between the storylines.

I am looking forward to seeing where this goes and how it translates to Netflix! I am sure that I will be continuing with the series during my trip to Algonquin Provincial Park next weekend, so stay tuned!

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?

I EAT MEN LIKE AIR

Purchase:

Amazon

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

Trigger Warnings: rape

This is an Audible Fall Editors' choice and I completely understand why. This book takes you on a ride from hating everyone as they are introduced, to feeling sorry for certain characters, to loving the closeness of found family and cutting toxic people off. A haunting and moving story that showcases the ingenuity of women in the #MeToo era. I EAT MEN LIKE AIR will keep you turning pages until the very end in a clever Upper East Side mystery and character expose.

Following a few different story lines, I liked that Tyler was the piece that kept them all together. I was hoping this would be more like Sadie by Courtney Summers in which we would get more of the podcast portion, but I think it was a smart call to have flashbacks and have Tyler bring us back to the present with the investigation. I really liked how he became part of the group and that he really cared about the impact of the story, not just telling the best one.

As much as all the characters are easy to hate, we get so much depth to them while reading that it is hard not to see their value as well. I like how easily people brush off Lulu because she is Instagram famous but there is so much more to her than that. I liked that everyone got their own perspective and being so deep into the minds of all the characters. I felt like I was on the ground with them on the outside looking in. Berman does such a fantastic job of distinguishing each of the characters and their voices while keeping them all the same.

I will say this started off a little slow for me - I was hoping for a bit faster pace from the get go - but it did pick up almost immediately and I kept reading until I finished! It is as much a character expose and essay on the importance of power imbalances in today's political climate as it is a murder mystery. Berman walks that line perfectly.

Definitely pick this one up and give it a listen. You won't regret it.

Alice Berman is a New York City-based author whose first Audible Originals book, “I Eat Men Like Air,” will be published September 2019. The fiction author sold her book, “Lost Boys and Technicolor Girls,” to ABC, where it is currently in development to become a show with Freeform. Hailing from a political family in Washington, D.C., Berman attended Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, winning the Gibson Peacock Award for creative nonfiction. Post-grad, Berman lived in London and Los Angeles where she co-founded the app, Shopfeed, and served as Creative Director for Pop & Suki. Today, Berman writes from her Tribeca loft. Alice is a founding board member of animal advocacy group Creatures Great and Small; she serves on the Young Collectors Council Acquisitions Committee at the Guggenheim and the Blair House Restoration Fund, and she is a Young Lion Conservator at the New York Public Library. Find her on Instagram at @alicecanaryplum. 

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CROOKED KINGDOM

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Read my review of SIX OF CROWS!

I'm very disappointed in this one. It felt more like a set up for the next series (King of Scars) rather than a decent conclusion to this duology. I didn't care about the characters or their conclusions and I wasn't even that sad at the way things turned out because it was the only logical conclusion if we wanted to continue with the next series.

I found myself really bored during this one, which shouldn't have been the case since there were so many heists and action scenes. But at the same time, I think that was it's downfall. There was too much of that - because there are only so many times characters can succeed in a roundabout way before you get sick of it.

I listened to this as an audiobook so that I could read it at work and have something to distract me while I was working. However, I found myself having to go back to previous chapters to listen again because I zoned out during the reading process. I mentioned in my status updates on Goodreads how disappointed I was in this one.

But really, I just wanted this to be a different book than it was. I just want authors to write the story at hand, not the next ten. Because it is one thing to know where stories can overlap and connect and another to purposefully create a storyline that directs people in a certain way. On to the fanfiction it is!

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

How has everyone's 2019 been going so far?

• KING OF SCARS by Leigh Bardugo (audio)
• SCREEN QUEENS by Lori Goldstein (audio)
• THE PURSUIT OF MISS HEARTBREAK HOTEL by Moe Bonneau (audio)
• THIS TIME WILL BE DIFFERENT by Misa Sugiura (audio)
• TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren (eARC)
• PERMANENT RECORD by Mary H.K. Choi (eARC)
• THE VOICE OF MY MIND by T.A. Fish (eARC)

• ARC Review: WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE by Tehlor Kay Mejia
• Review: DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin

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• THE REVOLUTION OF BIRDIE RANDOLPH by Brandy Colbert (YA Contemporary)
• AS MANY NOWS AS I CAN GET by Shana Youngdahl (YA Contemporary)
• COLOR ME IN by Natasha Diaz (YA Contemporary)
• FAN THE FAME by Anna Priemaza (YA Contemporary)
• MY BOX-SHAPED HEART by Rachael Lucas (YA Contemporary)

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

THE FIFTH SEASON

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

This took a bit to get into and I'm still not 100% sure on the worldbuilding but the characters are fantastic and I loved the writing! I thought that there were a lot of great parallels between the world we live in today and the nation that Jemisin creates, which will really open up people's eyes - if they are paying attention.

This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.

This book throws you right into the action, which can be good, but there isn't enough of an explanation for you to really get a good grasp on things. That makes it difficult for readers (like me) to really feel a full connection to the book from the get go. I almost stopped a couple times because I wasn't feeling it, but I'm glad I continued through it because it ended up being amazing.

The characters are so amazing and well-developed. Each of the different story lines kept my attention, but I especially loved reading about Essun and her journey. I love that every main character in this story was powerful and doing what they could to be empowered - even when they were being torn down and enduring hateful people. There were so many beautiful moments and I loved seeing how the characters grew throughout.

I highly recommend this book to everyone as it was incredibly written and an interesting fantasy novel. I can't wait to see where the story goes next!

N(ora). K. Jemisin is an author of speculative fiction short stories and novels who lives and writes in Brooklyn, NY. In 2018, she became the first author to win three Hugos in a row for her Broken Earth novels. She has also won a Nebula Award, two Locus Awards, and a number of other honors.

Connect with the Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?