Posted on by bookreviews628

But I’ll find a way, because I need to, and I’ll walk barefoot through hell for what I need: Reviewing Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’ve been dragging my feet a bit to review new books. Instead, I’ve made a point to re-read some of my favorites. I re-read Wuthering Heights in spite of the newest movie adaptation, and I’ve re-read Project Hail Mary because I’m excited for the new movie adaptation. I plan to reread Jane Eyre because it’s been a while, and I plan to reread The Odyssey because I am tentatively excited about the movie adaptation coming out this summer. All of that is neither here nor there, though. You are all here for my newest review. I have been meaning to read another Alix Harrow book since I read The Once and Future Witches some time ago. Feel free to check out that review. After so long, I am finally delving back into the world of Harrow. With that being said, let’s talk about Starling House.

Content Warning: Fantastical Violence, Sexual Content, Discussions and Depictions of Racism, Discussions and Depictions of Hate Crimes, Discussions and Depictions of Slavery, Strong Language, Forced Marriage, Domestic Abuse, Incest

The small, simple town of Eden, Kentucky, hides a dark secret. Among the failing businesses and coal mines, Starling House waits with darkness in its many rooms. No one would dare approach this home. Opal, though, isn’t just anyone. She dreams of the house every night and finds herself insatiably curious about why Starling House is seemingly calling to her. Starling House also just so happens to be the former home of Eleanor Starling, the author of Opal’s favorite childhood book, The Underland. When Opal is allowed to finally know the secrets of Starling House and earn money for her brother’s education, she jumps at the opportunity. Unfortunately for her, that means dealing with the manor’s enigmatic and standoffish owner, Arthur Starling. The longer she spends in Starling House, the more Opal learns about the true history that lies beneath the home. For once, Opal won’t run away. Instead, she’ll fight for a chance to finally live and overcome her own dark past.

Starling House is a darkly fun blend of Gothic vibes, fairy-tale allusions, and magical realism. I saw many different story elements here, such as Beauty and the Beast, the myth of Hades and Persephone, and a dark take on Alice in Wonderland. All of this is wrapped up in an interesting (albeit dark) story of American history. It is a bit of a slow burn, but that helps establish that dark atmosphere that seeps through every page of this novel. I appreciate Harrow’s sharp, atmospheric prose and her talent for building tension. Her characters are complex and endearing. I particularly enjoyed Opal’s bravery, wit, and kindness. She made for a compelling heroine and the ideal underdog. I also appreciated that the story was pleasantly unpredictable. I didn’t know where the story was going, and that was what made it such an enjoyable experience. There weren’t any sharp plot twists or intense reveals, but I didn’t know what to expect, which made it all the more fun. I think you can guess my overall thoughts at this point. I definitely recommend Starling House and plan on reading more Harrow books in the near future.

Posted on by bookreviews628

If we get to the point where we don’t help each other anymore, that’s when we stop being human: Reviewing Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book 1 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl Series) by Matt Dinniman

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. Not that anyone asked, but I’ve been going through a weird time. There’s been some sad things, and some good things. All of these have happened in a short amount of time, so I’m still processing a lot. Things, however, are looking up. I wanted to read something a little more lighthearted to improve my mood just slightly. I also thought that you all might want to read a review about something not depressing. Dungeon Crawler Carl has been making the rounds on social media, so I decided to give it a fair shot. Now, it’s time to discuss the first book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.

Content Warning: Crude Humor, Strong Language, Cartoonish Violence

Carl isn’t having a good time. First, his girlfriend breaks up with him. Second, she leaves him with her prize-winning cat named Princess Donut. As if this doesn’t suck enough, then the Earth is attacked by aliens. The survivors of the attack must survive a deadly game of survival that’s being aired to wider galaxy. With nothing but his boxers and a fluffy cat, Carl must fight his way through enchanted traps and deadly creatures, all while trying to impress viewers and not get vaporized by the producers. Safe to say that this isn’t your typical game show.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a fast-paced, action-packed, and humorous take on literary RPGs. This novel certainly stood out to me in many aspects. I appreciated the overall setup of the novel and its consistent tone. This is one of the few novels where infodumping was beneficial to the story. You don’t have to be familiar with RPGs to understand general mechanics of the story and Matt Dinniman takes the appropriate measures to ensure that the readers understand the world of the novel. My favorite part of the novel was Carl as the main character and narrator. His grounded and pragmatic demeanor helped provide an anchor in a novel full of absurd elements, like killer llamas and a talking cat. I enjoyed the expansive and unpredictable world of the novel. I like that I never knew what absurd thing would happen next. The novel is just absurd and silly enough, without distracting from the fact that this is a survival story. The only element that was really hit-or-miss for me was the humor. Humor is fully subjective. I’m not going to act like I’m above something crude, crass, or juvenile. With being said, the humor of the book didn’t do a lot for me. It was just a little too gross at times. It felt like something akin to South Park or Family Guy, which I find to be hit-or-miss. It was just a bit too gross for me personally. It wasn’t overly offensive, though, and toed the line without crossing it. My main reaction was to roll my eyes because I found it to be distinctly male, if that makes sense. I won’t let that draw away from my overall positive opinion about the book. At the end of the day, this was the ideal book I needed for an adventurous and fun escape. I can even see myself picking up the sequel in the future. If you need something absurd and energetic, then I will go ahead and recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl.