Review: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

****

4/5 Stars

I enjoyed this read. Overall, it was a lovely meander into an incredibly creative world – as expected when one picks up a Sanderson story.

For the most part, I found this book to be pleasantly comfortable. I didn’t hyperfocus into it, or obsess over it, or gnaw at my fingers in stress as the climax crept ever closer. I simply picked away at the chapters and felt content when it was done.

Saying all of that, there were two sections that dove straight to my heart. Light spoilers here, so continue reading at your own risk:

The scene where Painter meets the Dreamwatch and learns that he never would have had a chance to join them because of his lack of connections SLAMMED into me. As an author with very little money and very few literary connections, such a moment was raw and relatable. Breaking into an industry with any kind of force generally requires you to know the right people…and those who know the right people are generally well off. If you aren’t well off and you don’t know the right people, being an extrovert works in your favor – get viral on TikTok and WAH-BAM.

In other words, this scene was an excellent metaphor for those of us who feel utterly defeated by closed doors.

Sometimes we need to remember that those doors only have special, rather unfair locks.

I was utterly surprised by this moment in the book and completely impressed with it because of how well it was handled by Sanderson.

What also resonated with me was the overall theme – machine progress and its negative effect on creativity and society. I thoroughly enjoyed Sanderson’s take on this very relevant question, as it’s one that I’ve thought about plenty.

With its neat prose, lovely plot, and the two mentioned moments, this book was a wonderful experience for me.

Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

****

4/5 Stars

From ash we come, and to ash we return.

The beginning of this brutal book was intriguing. Rin’s development was well done, honed and sharp. The middle…well, the middle fell flat for me. I disliked Rin. Couldn’t find myself cheering for her at all. But perhaps we’re supposed to not like her. Either way, I found myself struggling through the siege chapters. Once the Cike moved and things began to get really violent is when my interest was piqued once more.

Although the violence was flinchingly violent. I’m a strange person. I can’t watch bloody movies, but I can read and write gore. Yet this book had me squeamish and uncomfortable. That was new for me, and honestly…good job to the author. At first I wasn’t impressed, but when I sat and thought about it I realized that she was writing about very real war. It’s not honourable and clean, with quick jabs to the heart and bloodless coups. No. War with the enemy sweeping through your land means a detached violence. Blood dripping from every surface, every snarling face. The death in war is not pretty. Is not kind. And The Poppy War makes damn sure you know that.

As for the writing, I felt like it was very cut and dry. The style lent itself to the power of certain passages, such as the ones detailing combat or the gods, but during more world-buildy paragraphs I felt like I was reading a textbook. What can I say, I prefer lyrical writing over blunt writing. But for the most part, the style really worked for this book.

Rin is bewildering to me. There are moments I really like her character, but more often than not I was incredibly annoyed by her. I wanted to slap her as hard as Altan did.

I want more of the Pantheon. The Phoenix is so absolutely savage, all furious energy, and I’m curious to see what else the god will do to the world.

The ending was all fire and blood. Violence and wrath. Cold-blooded vengeance. And it’s why I gave this book 4 stars. I’m not sure when I’ll read the next installment, but I plan to. I have a feeling it’s even more brutal than this one, and I need time to steel myself for it.

Review: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

*****

5/5 Stars

I don’t generally read books outside of fantasy, sci-fi, or historical fiction.

But I kept seeing things about this book and a voice in my mind kept nagging at me to give it a chance. Sometimes books wiggle their way into your life precisely when you need them.

I found my copy at a second-hand store. It was $4.00. I had already been deliberating on getting it. Seeing it so accessible, a brand new book that’s been shining on bestseller lists for some time now, I knew there was a strange force telling me to pick it up. Sure, this book has no magic. No world building. No lush historical events.

But it was stunning. Anxious People peels back the human condition. It slips a hand inside your chest and grips your heart while simultaneously telling you, “see? Now do you get it? We all struggle, we all can’t breathe at times, but there’s always a glimmer of shining possibility tucked away inside the dark.”

It’s a ridiculous read. It talks about hard things with a bite of sarcasm. But it’s still tender, still gentle on the soul. And I needed this book.

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

****

4/5 Stars

“Walking to school over the snow-muffled cobbles, Karou had no sinister premonitions about the day. It seemed like just another Monday, innocent but for its essential Mondayness, not to mention its Januaryness. It was cold and it was dark – in the dead of winter the sun didn’t rise until eight – but it was also lovely. The falling snow and the early hour conspired to paint Prague ghostly, like a tintype photograph, all silver and haze.”

The first paragraph of this surprising book only hints at what Laini Taylor masterfully crafted. I don’t know why I was surprised with the quality of this story, as I had absolutely loved Strange the Dreamer, but here I am, sitting here, struck by astonishment.

I began this book about a week after I had a bad riding accident, which resulted in a severe concussion. I couldn’t do much of anything, let alone read, and by the time I stubbornly returned to books, I was ready for an internal fight with whatever innocent plot I chose.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone erased my grumpiness and craftily hooked me into its world of angels, demons, goulash, and teeth. Oh, and Prague. I’ve always been mildly curious about Prague, but now it’s high up there on my list of potential travel-destinations.

Karou, with her blue hair, waltzed on into my life and smacked me with her sketchbook. There’s a lovely cadence to this story that echoes Shakespeare’s beloved Romeo and Juliet. I enjoy a gritty, forbidden love story, and Taylor delivers it on a fiery platter.

I have two small complaints about this book. The first one I can’t get too detailed about, as I hate spoiling anything, but let’s just say that I prefer the old Karou to the new. Something about her spirit within the realm of…uh, let’s stick with demons… was so much stronger and electrifying for me.

But new Karou still holds her own.

My second complaint is that Taylor is far too good at world-building. So much so, the plot felt lackluster in comparison. I wanted more history, more background information rather than the story itself.

Overall, however, this book is a delicious read.