a fun supernatural female vigilante taking down demons (and regular bad guys too) it was a little confusing to keep track of the people hosting the dea fun supernatural female vigilante taking down demons (and regular bad guys too) it was a little confusing to keep track of the people hosting the demons because the demons hop bodies and also when they've been in a body for a bit, the body just looks all mushy old boozy white man. ...more
Honestly this was going to be a 2 star read at best for at least 60% of the book because - admittedly this is not the genre for me - I kept complaininHonestly this was going to be a 2 star read at best for at least 60% of the book because - admittedly this is not the genre for me - I kept complaining about the stupidity of the MC and that she kinda sorta deserved to die and that the obvious killer is a transparent red herring and that the twist would be one of three unsurprising options. It isn’t helped by the fact that at 60% I was still to reach the crux of the book which is provided all over the book’s byline. But I ended up way off on the twist and found it rather clever and enjoyed the final 30-40ish pages so hats off to the author for entertaining this skeptical reader with what ended up being a swift and fun read!
Read because BOTM sent me the wrong book by accident and it’s October when I like to read something a little scary (and I don’t have a high tolerance) so I shrugged and went ahead!...more
4.5 stars - Happily surprised. I passed over this book so many times, largely in part to the boring cover. The cover is appropriate for a studious mys4.5 stars - Happily surprised. I passed over this book so many times, largely in part to the boring cover. The cover is appropriate for a studious mystery but not at all for the weird dystopian world one finds themself in inside this tale. I only picked it up finally due to a buddy read.
This was a fun mystery that I thought was going to only appear as a mystery only solvable by superhuman leaps of logic (or internal world-knowledge) but that only occurred in the beginning as a way to orient the reader into the world - and it is a vast and interesting world. I've been describing it as steam-punk if instead of steam we have fungi and the 'steam' is both the source of an existential threat to the world and its inhabitants (via contagion and it's monstrous origin) as well as the source (or inspiration) of the world's technology and human augmentation/mutation. As the story passes the opening scenes, one realizes that the mystery can be solved (or at least hunches made) at the same pace the MC absorbs information, even if it isn't as fast as the Sherlock to his Watson. The world is well developed without overshadowing the (many) characters. The best part of the story is the dynamic between the intuitive shut-in Ana and the MC, her new, potential temporary, assistant Din. Ana is vulgar, outspoken, brilliant, erratic and terrifying while uptight, quiet Din serves as her 'engraver' or permanent record of events/clues via his ability to memorize occurrences exactly as he experiences them. Their verbal volleys are full of humor and information about their world and the class system around them, though they often jar with more modern sentiments that can take one out of the moment. All in all, I look forward to the 2nd book while happily appreciating that this entry stands-alone....more
CHECK OUT THE AUDIO!! I think this would qualify as a 'cozy mystery?' Diverse Irish flock of sheep decide to investigate the death of their beloved sheCHECK OUT THE AUDIO!! I think this would qualify as a 'cozy mystery?' Diverse Irish flock of sheep decide to investigate the death of their beloved shepherd using their wits and what little they've learned from the novels he used to read to them. SO delightful - especially with the lightly accented Irish narrator. I love the little callouts to human behavior that the sheep don't understand. And I love that they think the minister's name is "God" and that he talks about himself a LOT
"... they were excited but were being made to hush. It was seldom that humans took the trouble to be quiet. It always meant something." "Forgetting was a tried and true way for sheep to get over their sorrows. The stranger and more disturbing an incident was, the faster you needed to forget it."
I came to this edition unaware of the series that preceded it and it was an interesting AU version of Harley, Joker and Batman that I’d like to see coI came to this edition unaware of the series that preceded it and it was an interesting AU version of Harley, Joker and Batman that I’d like to see continued. Styled as a noir though the actual mystery really didn’t drive the plot or make any new waves. Harley has depth and only glimmers of recklessness and really next-to-no madness except what was needed to stay close to the Joker (per flashbacks, he’s (view spoiler)[ dead by the start of events (hide spoiler)]. It makes her more interesting and a lot less annoying (but perhaps less fun dialogue-wise)!...more
this is not my genre so I'm never a great judge of horror/slasher/mystery stuff but even though I didn't predict the twist (I should have, it follows this is not my genre so I'm never a great judge of horror/slasher/mystery stuff but even though I didn't predict the twist (I should have, it follows the (view spoiler)[girls-die-after-having-sex (hide spoiler)] trope), it felt extremely formulaic. It also felt really exploitative which is perhaps not something you can avoid in this field, particularly with the titular subject matter, but still disappointed. In the end, it felt a lot like the film geeks in Scream providing expository on horror rules while not caring about the humanity of the subjects/victims. Like I said - not my genre so I'll stop here before I sound too snobby. (too late?)
An interesting (superhero) murder mystery with a ton of social commentary that is ever-timely. Beautifully drawn and interesting sci-fi concept of a lAn interesting (superhero) murder mystery with a ton of social commentary that is ever-timely. Beautifully drawn and interesting sci-fi concept of a lone Green Lantern at the edge of the sectors who was invited to keep a planet from imploding as the population - for generations genetically neutered in the emotions department - deals with an underground drug that is turning on feelings and appears to have caused the first murder in 100's of years. ...more
The one with the worst of the ignorantly racist caricatures (worse than Vol 2) that put the nail in the coffin of this series for me. I say ignorantlyThe one with the worst of the ignorantly racist caricatures (worse than Vol 2) that put the nail in the coffin of this series for me. I say ignorantly because the author/illustrator were trying to overtly tell another 'racism bad' story as Spanish white people writing 'brown and black' animals in New Orleans while obviously not having a single non-white pair of eyeballs to check this out before publication. ...more
I can't believe this only came out in 2010 because it feels like something only DC would make the mistake of publishing, in that it is SO problematic.I can't believe this only came out in 2010 because it feels like something only DC would make the mistake of publishing, in that it is SO problematic. You have a white, Spanish author & illustrator writing anthropomorphized black and brown characters in a white-dominant society (yeah, it's not subtle) with bash-you-over-the-head 'Nazi's are bad! Racism is bad!' stories while making all the said black and brown characters stereotypically caricatured (a heroin-addicted bulldog jazz piano player, a wizened monkey voodoo practicer scamming a dying old white goat etc. etc.) Meanwhile the so-called bad-guys who are white are explained as the "Artic" faction and are all strong, beautiful creatures - polar bears and wolves and foxes and - um, a white tiger (don't remember one of those in the Artic). It's like the guy saw the success of Maus and thought, "I can do anthropomorphized creatures too, and give it a message!" but clearly doesn't have a single black friend to look at this and point out how blatantly racist it is. Yeah - we get it, racism bad. But believing that racism only looks like Nazis in jackboots rather than the company that won't offer an interview to non Western European names on a resume - or ya know, writing caricatured stereotypes into every black and brown character save your MC - buttresses the system more than the obvious bad guys. I kept hoping the illustrator was at least black and had made these decisions from known community and experience living in New Orleans (oh yeah, it takes place in New Orleans and Las Vegas despite both creators originating in Spain) but alas, it wasn't meant to be. It's a shame because I would be down for animals doing noir private investigator stories... but these didn't work with the glaring issues. I don't get it - I read these after seeing a twitter thread with folks lauding their favorite, life changing comics - and if this is it, I worry for our society....more
Murderbot adventure novella mixed with murder mystery! On Murderbot's chosen-ish home, among people it is concerned about protecting, and others it doMurderbot adventure novella mixed with murder mystery! On Murderbot's chosen-ish home, among people it is concerned about protecting, and others it doesn't want to piss off so it's got better odds with said concern. Additional world building where we're reminding how shitty the Corporate-run Rim is compared to the Wayfarer world (fairly recent in my memory). There is a lot less Deux ex Machina suspension of disbelief required here as Murderbot does what it does but I do wish we'd get to see the competency of some of the humans around it --- since I'm fairly certain at least Mensah and her crew are clever and Indah, the head of Preservation security, seemed to have her shit together as well even if she doesn't trust Murderbot in the beginning. ...more
the answer to The Refridgerator Monologues as Lois Lane handles her business without/despite her overprotective man in the cape and in the face of misthe answer to The Refridgerator Monologues as Lois Lane handles her business without/despite her overprotective man in the cape and in the face of misogyny, political intrigue and a xenophobic administration (that will seem quite familiar)
the multi-verse stuff wasn't necessary, but it also wasn't critical to understanding this edition so at least there is that (could have done without the witchcraft as well but oh, well)...more
flashback edition on Mr Nightingale during and after WWII where he encounters another magic-user hunting and killing 'exotic' women in Cumbria. Less lflashback edition on Mr Nightingale during and after WWII where he encounters another magic-user hunting and killing 'exotic' women in Cumbria. Less legal wizardry and more noirish-PI (+magic!) tale. ...more