Posted on by bookreviews628

Could I be a human if you called me one?: Reviewing The Employees by Olga Ravn, Translated by Martin Aitken

Hi everyone! I am back again sooner than anticipated. I have a couple of novellas on my TBR pile to fill in the gaps between some of the longer books I read. I’m watching for new releases and other books to add to my pile. I am unsure if anyone would want this but I know some book-centric influencers put out their TBR list at the beginning of the year. I might do posts like that at the beginning of the year or the beginning of the month. I don’t typically do “reading goals” but I might like to give you all a sneak peek of what to expect from me as far as content. I think I have rambled enough now. Let’s talk about The Employees.

Content Warning: Some disturbing imagery. Brief discussion of infant loss, Brief discussion of sexual content, Some discussion of mental health issues

It’s the maiden voyage of the Six Thousand Ship. The crew consists of human and humanoid workers who all have complaints about the monotonous daily tasks. All of these complaints are carefully tracked by the committee. The voyage of the Six Thousand ship is put in jeopardy when they take on strange objects from the planet New Discovery. The objects begin to have strange effects on the human and humanoid crew members. Tensions begin to boil over, mutiny is on the horizon, and the entire voyage may fall apart.

The Employees is a strange, speculative novella that packs a punch with its chilling narrative and philosophical themes. I do love novels told through unconventional narrative structures. In this case, the entire story is told through statements from the different crew members. It does read rather poetically at times while giving glimpses of the horrifying consequences of the overall mission. Olga Ravn does a great job balancing ambiguity and the concrete aspects of the plot, like the fallout of bringing these mysterious objects onto the ship. I love how the novel questions what defines humanity and what makes someone human. The small details are what really set this novella apart. The Employees satisfied my need for surreal sci-fi, philosophy, and just a touch of horror.

Posted on by bookreviews628

Our remedies oft in ourselves do die: Reviewing All’s Well by Mona Awad

Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well! January feels like a weird time of year for me. It is nothing that I can’t deal with, and I deal with my problems by reading instead. This is now the second book I have read by Mona Awad. You can check out my review of her other book, Bunny. You all know at this point that I love “weird girl literature” so, of course, I had to check out this book. I am currently reading another book by Ottessa Mosfegh. That review will be out soon-ish. Now, however, it is time to talk about All’s Well.

Content Warning: Some harsh language, Some sexual content, Some depictions of substance abuse, Brief discussion of self-harm

Miranda Fitch’s life has fallen apart. Her once-promising career as a stage actress and her marriage ended when Miranda was in a car accident. Now, she is dealing with debilitating chronic pain. The only thing she has to look forward to is her production of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well. Her cast of college students, however, band against her to perform Macbeth instead. Miranda feels her rock bottom sinking lower. That is, however, until she meets three mysterious benefactors who assure her that her show will go on and her pain will go away. Suddenly, everything begins to look up for Miranda but she begins to wonder if she will have to pay a price for her sudden success.

Mona Awad continues to deliver weird and layered narratives surrounding women’s issues in ways that I have never really seen before. As a fan of Shakespeare, I love Awad’s use of elements from Macbeth and All’s Well That Ends Well to enhance a story about a woman who just wants someone to believe in her. I particularly enjoy Awad’s ability to write strange, dream-like prose that you can still follow as you read it. Mona Awad’s writing is meant for speculation. It is interesting the way that the characters gaslight themselves and each other throughout the book. I found myself re-reading certain sections because of the way that the book makes you doubt yourself and that is truly a compliment. My only gripe with this book is that I wish we got to see more of the rehearsals because there was clearly a lot of weird stuff going on if you read between the lines. I kind of wish we could have seen that. Regardless, if you are looking for something on the surreal side with just a very slight touch of academia then I would certainly recommend All’s Well.

Posted on by bookreviews628

Death behind and to either side. Only one choice is no choice at all: Reviewing The Hunger of the Gods (Book 2 of the Bloodsworn Trilogy) by John Gwynne

Hi everyone! I hope you are all still staying warm and cozy if it is snowing where you live. I’m gathering up a TBR list for 2024. I mostly read standalone books but I do love a good series every so often. Before I start my review of this book, go check out my review of the first book in the Bloodsworn trilogy, The Shadow of the Gods. The third book hasn’t been announced yet but I will be keeping an eye out. I can’t wait much longer. Let’s talk about The Hunger of the Gods, the second book in the Bloodsworn trilogy by John Gwynne.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Some Sexual Content, Harsh Language, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries, Intense Battle Scenes

After centuries, the gods have awoken. Lik-Rifa, the dragon god, plans to destroy her fellow gods and any who oppose her reign. Orka, Elvar, and Varg continue on their paths where new dangers have emerged. The Battle Grim and Bloodsworn realize that they are no match for the might of the dragon god and her allies. The only hope lies in a book of magic with the power to resurrect Lik-Rifa’s greatest enemy, Ulfrir the wolf god. Forces beyond the comprehension of man will soon wage a war that no one will be able to escape from.

This sequel was incredible. I sang my praises for the first book and I am so happy I get to rave about its follow-up. The Hunger of the Gods is truly epic and so well-crafted. What I particularly enjoyed was John Gwynne’s riveting prose and how he uses that to build upon the elaborate world he established in the first book. I think the way he structured the book was smart too, as in the first book, he alternates between characters’ perspectives. The additional characters help to add more scope to this world. The characters themselves are so well fleshed out. I became almost embarrassingly invested in the story at points. I wanted to talk about this book so badly so for way too long. I am so glad to tell you all about this. In conclusion, go read this series immediately. You will be hooked from page one.

Posted on by bookreviews628

It can be hard to know what’s a memory and what’s a ghost: Reviewing The Winter Soldier: Cold Front by Mackenzi Lee

Hello everyone! I hope you are all staying warm. It is absolutely freezing where I live and I hate the snow, truthfully. The book I am about to review, however, felt appropriate considering the weather. As a longtime Marvel fan, Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier is one of my favorite characters (in the comics and movies alike). I am making an exception as this is a young adult book. I couldn’t say no to one of my favorites. Let’s talk about The Winter Soldier: Cold Front.

Content Warning: Violence, Semi-Graphic Depictions of Injury, Medical Abuse, Discussions of Self-Harm

In 1941, sixteen-year-old James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes is itching to enlist in the army but keeps getting stopped by a certain commander. One day, a mysterious man calling himself Mr. Yesterday approaches Bucky enrollment in a top secret training program with the British Special Operations Executive. Bucky takes the opportunity without a second thought, only to realize he is in way over his head as he faces down assassins, spies, and double agents. Decades later, Bucky Barnes is dead and the Winter Soldier has taken his place. When a mission in Soviet Russia reunites the Winter Soldier with someone from his past, he finds himself in a fight to complete Bucky’s mission and remember the person who he once was.

I did not expect this book to be nearly as gripping as it was but I was hooked. I loved how Mackenzi Lee based this novel off of the original comics, rather than the Marvel movies. Speaking of movies, this was a cinematic read and it played out in my head like a movie. Even though this book is for young adults, it doesn’t necessarily hide from the more disturbing aspects of the Winter Soldier comics. I felt that there was a good balance between the two storylines and they both ended up tying together in a satisfying way. If you are a Marvel fan then definitely check out The Winter Soldier: Cold Front. (Side note: I am fairly certain the Mackenzi Lee has two other Marvel books out there so I might give those a shot in the future.)

Posted on by bookreviews628

So you (still) want to be a half-blood?: Reviewing Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan

Hello all! I’m back again sooner than expected with another review. I’ve mentioned a few times how I tend to avoid middle-grade and/or young adult books but I have a soft spot for the Percy Jackson series. I absolutely love the TV adaptation so far, so I started feeling nostalgic all over again. I don’t think anything is wrong with holding on to some childhood interests as an adult. Sometimes, it’s fun to look back at the things that inspired you in the first place. I also just love keeping up with Rick Riordan in general. Let’s talk about the latest entry in the Percy Jackson series, The Chalice of the Gods.

Percy Jackson, demigod extraordinaire, is about to face his greatest challenge: college. First things first, he needs three recommendation letters for New Rome University. These letters have to be from gods and, to earn these letters, Percy must complete quests. His first quest is to help Ganymede, Zeus’s cupbearer, who lost his magical chalice. With the help of his friends Grover and Annabeth, Percy must (for the millionth time) face down an array of creatures and gods who seem to have nothing better to do than to fight some (sort of) harmless demigods.

Despite the fact I know I am not the target audience for the Percy Jackson series, I can tell Rick Riordan is aware of how many of his readers are growing up and continuing to enjoy the world of Percy Jackson. I get a sense that he is aware that some of his readers are nostalgic adults. These books, though, can be for readers of all ages. I read so many heavy and dark books on my blog so it is nice to go back to some of the more light-hearted books I grew up with. (The Percy Jackson books can still be kind of dark. Don’t get it twisted.) I do love Riordan’s overall consistent quality with his books but you can still see where the world of the book has evolved to keep up with modern trends. This is certainly a book for all ages and I can see how reading this book would be a great family bonding experience, if you do have any little bookworms in your life looking for their next exciting literary adventure.

Posted on by bookreviews628

To change any of this, we need to live: Reviewing The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! I am wishing you all the best for 2024. Thank you for continuing to support my blog. I hope your TBR lists are ready to go. I am excited to bring you my first review of 2024. I fully meant to review this book last year but hit a bit of a reading slump. This book has been on my TBR list for a while now so I have been looking forward to reviewing it. Let’s talk about Sara A. Mueller’s debut novel, The Bone Orchard.

Content Warning: Depictions of Violence and Abuse, Depictions of Prostitution, Discussions of Child Abuse, Harsh Language, Some Sexual Content, Discussions and Depictions of Misogyny

Lady Charm lives in the mysterious Orchard House, surrounded by a garden of bones and her beautiful boneghosts. All of the wealthy and powerful inhabitants of Borenguard go to Orchard House to indulge in their vices. Charm has the distinct advantage of belonging only to the Emperor. One day, Charm is summoned by the Emperor and finds out he is dying. His final request is that Charm find out which of the Emperor’s sons is behind their father’s death. With Borenguard thrown into chaos as the princes fight for the throne, Charm must find the Emperor’s killer before war breaks out in the kingdom.

I will not lie: this book was absolutely not what I thought it would be. Based on the plot synopsis of the book itself, I thought that this book was going to be more of a gothic fairy tale with a whodunnit element. Instead, this book is more of a dark steampunk fantasy with magic in parts. For the majority of this book, I was rather confused by the world-building, and differentiating the characters was a bit of a challenge at times. That isn’t to say that this book is badly written. Sara Mueller puts a lot of conviction and care into the narrative. I found plenty of redeeming qualities the further I got into the book but it took me longer than I would have liked to truly find the rhythm of this book. I was actually fully prepared to DNF this book at one point. I am glad I finished this but it might take another reading to fully understand this book. It certainly is unlike anything I have read in a while and, for that, I did appreciate Mueller’s unique novel. For this book, I am going to say to go ahead and give it a chance because there is certainly potential in this novel that I hope other people see.