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imyril

imyril

Joined November 2018

Reptile, bookwyrm, nasty woman, geek. Resolutely idealistic. Has dragons or space pirates? Will read. Long form reviews at http://onemore.org
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The Unraveling by Benjamin Rosenbaum
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Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey
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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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It‘s the final week of our #WyrdAndWonder read-along of The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay, with questions set by Mayri of BookForager!

(Please, no spoilers for future books - and beware, every question is a spoiler for book one at this point!)

imyril 1. Paul is now the Lord of the Summer Tree. What do you think this means/ will mean?

2. Jennifer asks herself “what was her sin, what had she done“ to deserve the TERRIBLE punishment she receives at the hands of Maugrim and his creatures. What are your thoughts and feelings on Jennifer's plight, and how have you made sense of it within the scope of the scope of the story so far?
2y
imyril 3. What did you make of the events in the throne room, from the assassination attempt to the showdown for the crown?

4. There's been a surfeit of signs, a plethora of portents in this week's reading. Now is the time to air your opinions on such things as flying unicorns, getting lost in the woods, the Cave of the Sleepers, magical Horns and unearthed Cauldrons.
2y
imyril 5. The Dwarves did it, in the darkness, with the Cauldron of Khath Meigol! What do you make of this last-minute revelation? And care to make any predictions on future developments?

6. Finally, reaction shots on Maugrim the Unraveller - go!
2y
See All 10 Comments
shanaqui I never got to it at all... :( Sigh. What a month. 2y
imyril @shanaqui it has been a heck of a month in a number of ways; I hope things improve soon x 2y
PageShifter I have not even started -.- But well. There is still days left. I am also interested to read the rest of the series. When BR for them is going to happen? 2y
imyril @PageShifter polling for interest but probably rolling straight into the sequel next month :) 2y
PageShifter Wow, that was great news! 2y
imyril @PageShifter slight shift: July - we have a couple people who haven‘t started / finished book one yet and want time to catch up :) 2y
PageShifter That works too! Thank you for letting me know 💞 2y
13 likes10 comments
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imyril
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#WyrdAndWonder day 22: bite size delight
(expect catch up posts for the days I‘ve missed)

Today I‘m featuring Zen Cho‘s gorgeous novella of monks, outlaws and magic - I loved The Order of The Pure Moon Reflected In Water 💕

I‘ll be celebrating another Zen Cho novella on the blog in today‘s Fantastic Five and over on Twitter I‘m giving away a copy of Black Water Sister! (UK only, sorry)

https://twitter.com/imyril/status/1528299628210229248

16 likes1 stack add
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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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It‘s week three of our #WyrdAndWonder read-along of The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay! This week we‘re reading Ch9-12 (ALL THE FEELINGS FOLKS) and the discussion prompts have been set by my co-host Ariana of Book Nook Reviews

(As ever, please, no spoilers for future weeks / books - and beware, there are spoilers in the questions!)

imyril 1. We‘ve seen some extreme behaviour - we learn that Galadan‘s wants to unravel the world because it witnessed his rejection. Ysanne‘s sacrifice takes her out of the Tapestry entirely. What were your reactions to these and other character motivations?

2. Speaking of sacrifice, Paul has spent his final night on the Summer Tree and all his defences have been stripped. How are you feeling towards Paul now and what do you think might happen to him?
2y
imyril 3. Alongside (or because of?) Paul‘s time on the Summer Tree, some cosmic forces seem to be moving in Fionavar again. Last week we talked about prophecy, but how do you feel about the role of deities and mythology in the book?

4. We have (officially) met the banished prince Aileron! Impressions? And does his presence and return to court give us any further insight into the politics of Brennin?
2y
imyril 5. At last, Dave has returned to grace the pages! His absence has caused much speculation, but how do you feel about him now that we know what he‘s been up to?

6. Dave‘s time with the Dalrei gives us a great deal of insight into a previously unseen culture within Fionavar, so it‘s time for a world-building check in! Anything standing out?

7. And as always, any other thoughts?
2y
shanaqui Oh boy. I need to START this reread. I blame my exams. 😭 2y
imyril @shanaqui good luck in the exams! Unlike Dave you didn‘t get whisked off to another world to get more time in hand (ahem and other distractions), but the book will wait 😄 2y
12 likes5 comments
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imyril
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro | K. S. Villoso
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#WyrdAndWonder day 15: #ShelfieSunday

What can I say, my mouse friend and I are having a ball reading our way through this epic shelf

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imyril
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#WyrdAndWonder day 14: a book within a book

I love stories featuring storytelling; but I can‘t go past AJ Hackwith‘s Hell‘s Library trilogy for this prompt. A universe of untold stories and characters stepping out of their unwritten pages to save afterlives.

shanaqui One day, I really will get round to reading that series. >.> 2y
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imyril
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#WyrdAndWonder day 12: step into another‘s shoes

I love reading about epic adventures, but if I‘m going to trade places with fearless protagonists I‘d rather step into the shoes of one of the Camherst girls: Isabella or granddaughter Audrey. You get to study dragons (or the Draconean language), enjoy indoor plumbing and get up the nose of the establishment - sounds right up my street!

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imyril
Battleaxe | Sara Douglass
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#WyrdAndWonder day 11: weapon of choice

I‘m going slightly left field for today‘s prompt with a book named for a weapon that has been on my TBR for far too long (I‘ll get to it, I swear. One day) - Battleaxe by Aussie author Sara Douglass

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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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It‘s week two of our #WyrdAndWonder read-along of The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay! This week we‘re reading Ch7&8 (or Ch6-8 if you‘re me, oops) and the discussion prompts have been set by the lovely team at The Fantasy Hive

(As ever, please, no spoilers for future weeks / books!)

Prompts ⬇️⬇️⬇️

imyril 1) There was a little confusion last week on whether chapter six was supposed to be included, so let‘s explore this one first. We discussed the Pervy Prince last week - would you like to weigh in on his antics across the border? 2y
imyril 2) We‘re a sizable step into the story now, so how are we all finding the pacing?

3) Loren continues his mysterious antics, have your opinions about him shifted at all? Or is there a certain other mage you‘re now more concerned about?
2y
imyril 4) Between the children‘s game and Kim‘s dream, not to mention Ysanne‘s mutterings to herself, prophecy is a key element weaving through this story. What are your reactions to the various foretellings thus far?

5) Let‘s address the massive sacrificial magical tree in the room - would you have offered yourself in Paul‘s shoes?
2y
imyril 6) There were two pretty major battles this week. The lios alfar were slaughtered by Galadan, and Paul witnessed a truly moving fight between Galadan and his mysterious canine protector. What were your reactions?

7) There‘s still no sign of Dave! First time readers - any theories? Revisitors, do you recall if you had any opinions on this before?

Any other thoughts this week?
2y
8 likes4 comments
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imyril
Brightfall | Jaime Lee Moyer
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#WyrdAndWonder day 9: #MapMonday some books are so damn fantasy they have a map on the COVER and I bloody love it. Brightfall is Jaime Lee Moyer‘s reimagining of Sherwood as an estranged Marian and Robin are forced to team up to find out why their former merry band are being murdered. Expect Fae and witchcraft and guilty consciences.

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imyril
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#WyrdAndWonder day 8: undergods

…I have a lot of books that focus on dwindling or resurgent deities; Black Water Sister by Zen Cho gets my pick both for its many small gods and just for being a smart, funny delight of a book.

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imyril
Daggerspell | Katharine Kerr
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#WyrdAndWonder day 7: say what? Today we‘re talking books featuring fictional languages so I‘m singing the praises of the epic Deverry saga with its languages derived from Celtic and Ancient Greek (and because they‘re all time favourites of mine ❤️)

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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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#WyrdAndWonder day 6: mythic fantasy is the obvious opportunity to talk about the Fionavar trilogy again. Yes, it‘s our readalong, yes, I love it, and omg YES it‘s mythic - both in created mythology and reinvented Norse and Celtic myths. Look, the first book has a full on tree sacrifice in progress, how much more mythic do you need? Sea monsters and flying unicorns and undead gods. Well it‘s got those too 🙃

15 likes2 stack adds
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imyril
The Jasmine Throne | Tasha Suri
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#WyrdAndWonder day 5: 5 star fantasy read

Time for me to bang the drum for The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, a glorious epic of magic, ambition, family drama and simmering romance. Gorgeous world building and complex characters in a slow burn fantasy that builds to a blazing finale

20 likes3 stack adds
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imyril
You Let Me In | Camilla Bruce
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#WyrdAndWonder day 4: woodland creatures

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce is a dark tale of the Fae (or is it), where the woods represent an escape (or do they) from the family dramas of a lonely, imaginative girl. It‘s absolutely brilliant; not least for hewing to it‘s central theme of finding your own truth. And maybe murdering people who deserve it. Maybe.

PageShifter Wow! Dark tales are👍🥰🤩 2y
shanaqui Well, I'm intrigued! 2y
imyril @PageShifter @shanaqui the faeries did it! However: content warning required (commented separately as kinda spoilery) (edited) 2y
imyril Content warnings: desperately worrying invisible friend; (implied) child abuse; (implied) abortion/miscarriage; institutionalisation; murder; suicide 2y
19 likes4 comments
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imyril
Silver Hollow | Jennifer Silverwood
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The lovely @joriestory is hosting an author chat with Jennifer Silverwood this Saturday over on Twitter as part of #SatBookChat and #WyrdAndWonder!

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imyril
The Ninth Rain | Jen Williams
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#WyrdAndWonder day 3 is #TropeTuesday and we‘re exploring enchanted woods. I‘m going slightly off piste and choosing the Wilds of Sarn, a forest of mutant vegetation and parasite spirits in The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams.

…and it‘s not too late to sign up to #WyrdAndWonder and enter the competition to win a copy of this magnificent trilogy 😁

Sign up: https://forms.gle/SM7ASGnp9QhbMrqG8

18 likes1 stack add
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imyril
The Grief of Stones | Katherine Addison
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#WyrdAndWonder day 2 is books we #CantWaitToRead - for me it‘s The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison. I need to see dedicated, serious, lonely man Thara Celehar get the hug he deserves.

shanaqui I'm planning to read it this month and I hope Thara gets ALL the hugs. So many hugs! 2y
14 likes1 comment
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imyril
The Knave of Secrets | Alex Livingston
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Catching up on my own challenge - for #WyrdAndWonder day 1 we were sharing our TBR! I‘ve got an eclectic mix of fantasy sub genres lined up (plus The Future God of Love, a fantasy romance novella I‘m currently reading)

Of Charms, Ghosts & Grievances - Aliette de Bodard
Where Oblivion Lives - T Frohock
The Faerie Thorn - Jane Talbot
Silk Fire - Zabé Ellor
The Knave of Secrets - Alex Livingston
The Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay

shanaqui Ooh, just realised I can grab a review copy of Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances. YOINK.

I have heard some... very... bad things about Silk Fire, though I still plan to give it a try.
2y
imyril @shanaqui same about Silk Fire (and the author apparently isn‘t handling negative feedback well), but I‘ve got a copy so I‘ll give it a whirl… 2y
shanaqui @imyril Yeah, I've seen the author being all "if you didn't get my book, you're just inexperienced about the conventions of the genre" and, um... Yeah. But I did also see a couple of ambivalent reviews where people did give aspects to like, and I'm curious. 2y
13 likes3 comments
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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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It‘s week one of our #WyrdAndWonder read along of The Summer Tree! Time to share this week‘s prompts for discussion - feel free to answer as many or as few as you like on your own post (please spoiler tag where needed) and tag with #WyrdAndWonder #TheSummerTreeReadalong!

I‘ll be posting my answers to my blog on Thursday…

⬇️⬇️⬇️ [prompts in comments]

imyril 1) How are you reading along with us? Is this a first time or a reread? Show us your book cover!

2) The prose style is as distinctive as calling the prologue an overture. How are you finding it?

3) Each visitor gets a little moment to define them before they arrive in Fionavar. What are your first impressions of our travellers? Any you particularly like or dislike?

4) …and what do you make of the characters and politics of Paras Derval?
2y
imyril 5) The obvious question: would you accept Loren‘s invitation? Given the reception from Diarmuid and Gorlaes, would you regret it?

6) How/Do you judge Loren for keeping so many secrets from the visitors?

7) There is a lot of worldbuilding so far! Intriguing or overwhelming? Anything standing out for you?

And as always: any other thoughts this week?
2y
PageShifter I still have to fetch my copy from the library! 2y
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imyril @PageShifter not to worry, we‘ll be reading all month 😊 just maybe avoid the responses until you catch up 😉 2y
Readergrrl I just got my copy too! Eager to jump in!! 2y
imyril @Readergrrl can‘t wait to hear your first impressions 🙂 2y
8 likes6 comments
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imyril
Bingo! | Rosemary Wells
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Did I mention the #WyrdAndWonder book bingo? If you think five (or more 🙃) fantasies sounds like the perfect way to spend May it might be a fun way to pick your reads!

More details & text version: https://onemore.org/2022/04/05/even-more-wyrd-and-wonderful/

16 likes1 comment
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imyril
Mehso-so

This is an intriguing idea - a space opera inspired by the little mermaid, focusing on her quest to save the sick land bound lover she gave everything up for. I quite like Ogden‘s prose, but simultaneously wanted it to be fleshed out as a novel whilst not being sure I had the gumption to read anything longer (but I‘m having A Time and reading is hard right now so that could just be me)

One I can see myself giving a second chance.

shanaqui Huh. Sounds interesting... shame it didn't quite work out.

🤗 Hope you can read when it's sustaining and feel okay about not reading when it's not. (I always find it difficult when people tell me they hope I can get back to reading again and I'm like... “But I just told you it's hard right now, why are you pushing me?“ -- so I hope this wish is a bit less pushy-feeling.)
2y
imyril @shanaqui that‘s a lovely wish, thank you. I‘m finding the GGK reread very comforting; I can get away with tiny fragments of chapters because I know The Summer Tree so well anyway; but it‘s been long enough since i reread it that I‘m finding new things to think about. Novellas and rereads are clearly my best speed right now! 2y
shanaqui @imyril Yeah, I do that when I need to coddle myself through something. It helps. 2y
11 likes3 comments
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imyril
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What‘s better than one read-along? TWO read-alongs! @deargeekplace is hosting a buddy read of Holly Black‘s faerie forest stand-alone The Darkest Part Of The Forest through May for #WyrdAndWonder

Full details: https://deargeekplace.com/april-showers-of-information-a-wyrd-wonder-update/

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imyril
The Summer Tree | Guy Gavriel Kay
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We do love a group read during #WyrdAndWonder and this year we have two! I am ringleading a visit to Fionavar with Guy Gavriel Kay‘s mythic portal fantasy The Summer Tree. We‘ll be reading and discussing a few chapters each week through May if you‘d like to join us!

More details: https://onemore.org/2022/04/05/even-more-wyrd-and-wonderful/

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imyril
Bailedbailed

Sadly Not For Me. Jane Talbot has a knack for traditional fairy tale narratives, but her use of language quickly felt forced and irritating (altho I think it would work fine for me performed / told orally, so maybe consider this as an audio book).

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imyril
Untitled | Unknown
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May means #WyrdAndWonder an annual celebration of the fantasy genre across blogs & social media. Each year we set a month long challenge with a prompt a day to inspire reviews, recommendations or pics from your shelf / TBR! You can tackle any prompt, a prompt each day or combine several and make it a tag - it‘s all here for fun.

More info: https://onemore.org/2022/02/05/wyrd-and-wonder-the-fifth/

Sign up: https://forms.gle/SM7ASGnp9QhbMrqG8

shanaqui Hooow is it nearly that time already tho'. 2y
imyril @shanaqui we must all be bewitched or have been wandering in and out of faerie rings? Time has gone squiffy 2y
13 likes2 comments
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imyril
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#WyrdAndWonder is a month long event each May celebrating the fantasy genre across blogs and social media. We‘ll be sharing reviews, recs, memes, pics, and above all love of our fantasy faves.

To celebrate, I‘m giving away a copy of The Winnowing Flame trilogy by Jen Williams to one lucky winner who signs up to the event and posts during the first week of May.

Want in? More details: https://onemore.org/2022/03/24/wyrd-and-wonder-giveaway/

Lucy_Anywhere Such a good (and underrated) series! 2y
imyril @Lucy_Anywhere I can‘t believe it‘s never been picked up by a U.S. publisher, absolutely criminal 2y
15 likes2 comments
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imyril
This Is Our Undoing | Lorraine Wilson
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Pickpick

One of my favourite reads of the year so far: the personal and political collide as a former activist with dangerous secrets finds herself cooped up with the family of a murdered fascist Minister. This dystopian thriller is relentlessly tense, with big themes and a lot of heart; and exquisite writing that evokes the remote mountain forest setting.

Full review: https://onemore.org/2022/04/08/this-is-our-undoing/

I received a free review copy.

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imyril
Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction | Hao Jingfang, Wang Jinkang, Gu Shi, Han Song, Nian Yu, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang, Jiang Bo
Pickpick

A great collection of Chinese SF spanning the past 20+ years. Themes include space travel, AI, social change and even zombies(!) - with lots of new-to-me authors.

Thoughts on each story: https://onemore.org/tag/sinopticon/

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imyril
Untitled | Unknown
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I‘ve been away from Litsy for a bit so I‘m late in yelling about #WyrdAndWonder - we‘re back this May for another month of celebrating the fantasy genre! Join us to read, chat, watch, game or whatever takes your fancy and share your love of fantasy with a lovely party of likeminded adventurers

More info: https://onemore.org/2022/02/05/wyrd-and-wonder-the-fifth/

Sign up: https://forms.gle/SM7ASGnp9QhbMrqG8

imyril We‘ve got two read-alongs, a prompt challenge, a book bingo, some Twitter chats, and expect a heap of reviews, recs and book tags 😄 the fun happens across blogs, Litsy, Twitter, Instagram or wherever we take it - I‘ll post regular links here through May to make it easy to see what‘s going on and join in! 2y
imyril Signing up is a way to let us know you plan to join in so we can include you in the fun. No obligation to _do_ anything but if you post (here on Litsy, for example) in the first week you can enter our sign up giveaways! Plus there‘ll be even more no strings attached giveaways during the month. 2y
imyril I‘ll be updating with more details here over the coming days to whet your appetite… 2y
BookwormAHN I just signed up 🐉 2y
imyril @BookwormAHN woop welcome back to the party :) 2y
21 likes5 comments
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imyril
God of Lost Words | A J Hackwith
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These books. They get me every damn time. Straight into my reader feelings. Aaaaaaaah.

julesG I agree 100% 2y
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imyril
Nemesis Games (Expanse, #5) | James S.A. Corey
Pickpick

I have no cool about this book. It hits differently on a reread but the focus on consequences and showing the Roci crew directly (rather than through Jim) just leaves me with all the feelings every time. Plus the emphasis on our human need to relate to the world by creating narratives; and showing us the narratives these four create to cope.

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imyril
The Carnival of Ash | Tom Beckerlegge
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Epic bookpost this morning - I can‘t wait to sink my teeth into The Carnival of Ash and this cover for Silk Fire has me weak at the knees! Buts what this? Fantasy playing cards for The Knave of Secrets? You bet - there‘s an amazing few months of fantasy heading our way from @RebellionPub 😍

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imyril
This Is Our Undoing | Lorraine Wilson
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Sunday read: This Is Our Undoing by Lorraine Wilson

I‘m spellbound by this haunting tale of the personal and political colliding (and I could stare at this gorgeous cover all day)

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imyril
This Is Our Undoing | Lorraine Wilson
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This book is going to destroy me. I‘ve barely started and my heart ACHES (in a good way)

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imyril
Planetfall | Emma Newman
Pickpick

…okay, might have found a new favourite sci-fi series. Planetfall wasn‘t what I expected, but I loved its focus on mental health and the ways we trick ourselves and our community into thinking things are okay. Stir in a fascinating story of faith and science in a human colony built on a fragile web of deceit and there was so much going on here to keep me absorbed. Probably won‘t suit lovers of hard SF, but I loved it.

wanderinglynn Ooh, that plot does sound intriguing! 2y
imyril @wanderinglynn I enjoyed her Split Worlds books as a popcorn read; but this feels like a big step up in craft - esp pacing and character. Much lighter touch (to be fair, also intended as a very different sort of read; so hats off to Newman for being comfortable in multiple modes!) 2y
shanaqui I need to catch up with this series! I've read the first... two? Three? 2y
imyril @shanaqui I‘m looking forward to diving into the others now! 2y
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imyril
Wildwood | Colin Meloy
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Announcing Wyrd & Wonder 2022 🐺

A month-long celebration of all thing fantasy across blogs, Twitter, Litsy & Instagram during MAY. We talk books, films, music, games, crafts & anything that carries us away to other worlds 🧝‍♀️

Expect reviews, recs, reading & photo challenges, giveaways, read alongs & more!

Love fantasy? Join us: https://forms.gle/SM7ASGnp9QhbMrqG8

#WyrdAndWonder hosted by @joriestory @imyril @deargeekplace @adancewithbooks

TheAromaofBooks Oooo this sounds fun!!! @LitsyEvents 2y
shanaqui Looking forward to it! 2y
imyril @TheAromaofBooks we aim to be the chilled out super friendly fantasy reading++ event :D 2y
16 likes3 comments
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imyril
Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction | Hao Jingfang, Wang Jinkang, Gu Shi, Han Song, Nian Yu, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang, Jiang Bo

Me, trying not to scream on the train: is… is this a ZOMBIE story from the zombie POV? Eeeeee!

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imyril
Panpan

So this turned out to be Not For Me in spite of clearly being for me in so many ways. But it got under my skin in the wrong way and all the adorable robots and harmonious world building couldn‘t balance that out. Gah. Still making me irritated just thinking about it.

shanaqui Oh no! Mostly because of Dex, or other stuff too? 2y
imyril @shanaqui I felt Dex was repeatedly rewarded for selfish decisions: their journey to becoming a tea monk felt inconsiderate of their clients (and risky in terms of their emotional/mental well-being); not telling anyone when they head to the wilderness is careless of others' feelings; let alone GOING to a protected wilderness that humans aren't meant to intrude on. Just because Dex felt like it. It pushed a lot of buttons and left me very grumpy (edited) 2y
shanaqui @imyril That... is a good point I didn't think of in reading it; I guess I read it with too much sympathy for Dex's personal journey and not how it affects others. 2y
15 likes3 comments
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imyril
Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction | Hao Jingfang, Wang Jinkang, Gu Shi, Han Song, Nian Yu, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang, Jiang Bo
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I‘m really enjoying this collection for the most part but I just ran into the apparently culturally universal wall of NO MEN STOP PLEASE JUST STOP

“He had a moral responsibility towards Shirley: to liberate her beautiful body from the control of machines”

Lucy_Anywhere Ugh 😑 2y
shanaqui 😑😑😑😑 2y
16 likes2 comments
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imyril
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“The wilderness was not known for letting the foolish return.”

It speaks volumes that I‘m low key hoping Dex doesn‘t. But this is Becky Chambers, so I guess they‘ll be fine and will survive to get a bunch more side eye from me.

shanaqui Uhoh, not a fan of Dex? XD 2y
imyril @shanaqui not at all; and the story repeatedly rewards them for acting like an asshole, so I‘ve finally found a Chambers story that set my teeth on edge in spite of all the positive world building. Hohum. Lots to like, but finding it hard to like! 2y
14 likes2 comments
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imyril
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Bang, straight between the eyes with the first sentence. Yes, yes they do.

shanaqui Yeaaah. That spoke to me, too. 2y
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imyril
Inscape | Louise Carey
Pickpick

A fast-paced cyberpunk thriller of hardwired loyalty & corporate conspiracy. Well executed although fairly predictable, altho the broader world-building left me with a lot of questions and the overall package doesn‘t entice me to investigate the sequel. However, that mostly confirms I‘m not currently enjoying near-future dystopian novels or AR/VR worldbuilding. If you do, this is definitely worth a look.

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imyril

A reliably entertaining interstitial in my favourite urban fantasy series. Unlike Peter, I now know what Abigail did that summer (hilariously, it's not dissimilar to what he was doing, only aided by foxes rather than rivers). Abigail has always been one of my favourite supporting characters, and I'm now even more worried about what she'll do with her prodigious talents when she grows up...

shanaqui I really should get back to reading this series... I decided not to keep my copies of the latest books in hardback when I was cleaning out, and now I'm slightly regretting it -- I hadn't been *reading* them for ages, just ignoring them and going “meh“, so I figured I was done, but now my brain's like “...nope, I'm ready to see wtf is going on next“. Arrghhh!

(Though I have much more interest in almost every other character than Peter.)
2y
imyril @shanaqui …I think that‘s fair. Peter has never been the most interesting person in the cast, although I‘ve come to like him a lot more than I liked his younger self (who could be a bit of a prick). 2y
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imyril
Mehso-so

A mosaic novel exploring responses to grief in a terrible pandemic. It‘s full of interesting world building and poignant scenarios, but I found the stories a bit naive and rather repetitive (and I hated the final reveal). Mileage will vary - as a series of studies of grief there‘s lots to admire; I would have preferred fewer but longer (and deeper) stories.

Full review: https://onemore.org/2022/01/15/how-high-we-go-in-the-dark/

review
imyril
Piranesi | Susanna Clarke
Pickpick

It‘s a curious little book, with an unreliable narrator cataloguing a mysterious world. A portal fantasy? A philosophical treatise? A warning against trusting academic magicians? Yes, kind of. I really enjoyed this as an audiobook - I could let Piranesi‘s lists and observations wash over me like his tides until they receded enough for a plot to sweep me under.

review
imyril
You Let Me In | Camilla Bruce
Pickpick

When a popular novelist is presumed dead, her estate passes to her niece and nephew - if they will first submit to hearing her version of the bloodsoaked events that split the family. Expect an unreliable narrator and an ambiguous tale that leaves the reader to decide what truth to embrace.

Not what I expected, but this excellent debut is a particularly disturbing take on fairies and a thorny family history of abuse.

7 likes1 stack add
review
imyril
Cibola Burn | James S.A. Corey
Mehso-so

Even a bad Expanse book is still an Expanse book, so take my so-so with a pinch of salt. That said, this is my least favourite of the lot and it doesn‘t improve on a reread where I know the outcomes so don‘t get distracted by the incessant sub-plot-boiling. The show makes almost everything better, leaving the most annoying elements on the cutting room floor (and giving Murtry a more credible motivation).

blurb
imyril
You Let Me In | Camilla Bruce
post image

Oh hell yes I can‘t resist a teasing unreliable narrator with secrets to reveal and stories to spin

8 likes1 stack add
review
imyril
You Sexy Thing | Cat Rambo
Mehso-so

This is fine. And yes, that‘s the half shoulder shrug with a slightly funny expression type of fine. The multi-POV wasn‘t intrusive, but left characters feeling under developed. Plenty happened, but it felt like an origin story… even tho it‘s about retirees. The emotional arcs felt like straight lines, more told than earned. Lots of great ingredients I love, but the final dish just didn‘t get me excited. It‘s not bad, but I didn‘t love it.

imyril Expectations matter, too. I was super excited about this in advance. But having read it, I‘m not sure I‘d read a sequel (and the whole thing feels like set up for a series, when I was expecting a stand alone). Still, I wasn‘t sure I‘d carry on with Murderbot either and look where I ended up 😂 (…worth noting the only thing I was conflicted about Murderbot was the ending tho. This is way more of a muddle) 2y
imyril …and it may not help that I don‘t particularly like this song and it ear wormed me every time I picked the book up! (edited) 2y
10 likes2 comments
blurb
imyril
Nophek Gloss | Essa Hansen

Struggling to engage with this so far, putting it down for another time. Mass murder to generate revenge motivations are a really tough sell for me; that‘s why I‘ve put off trying this for so long in the first place. Will give it one more go at some point.

Lucy_Anywhere I bailed on this one - I felt a bit cheated by one of the plot points 2y
10 likes1 comment