A mixed bag, this one. Fran Galán’s work is gorgeous, and the colors bring the pages to life. There are some strong moments too, especially the humor A mixed bag, this one. Fran Galán’s work is gorgeous, and the colors bring the pages to life. There are some strong moments too, especially the humor and the opening of the story. I liked the main couple and their dynamic. It felt warm and genuine.
But the story didn’t fully work for me. It felt kind of chopped up, like scenes were missing or rushed. Some of the dialogue was a little awkward, and the ending just didn’t land - not bad, exactly, just kind of meh.
I picked up Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang on a whim, and wow, what a ride it was!
Natural Beauty follows a gifted piani4.5/5 but I'll round it up.
I picked up Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang on a whim, and wow, what a ride it was!
Natural Beauty follows a gifted pianist, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, who gives up everything after her parents are severely injured in a car crash. When the bills start mounting, she takes a job at an elite wellness and beauty company called Holistik.
Holistik sells more than just skin serums and “inner glow elixirs”, they sell a lifestyle. They also have a CSO (Chief Spiritual Officer). Anyway lifestyle equals a slow, cultish dismantling of their employee’s (and clients, I guess) sense of self.
Their world draws our narrator deeper and deeper, until she hardly recognizes herself. Her skin, her hair, her name all get gradually erased to fit into company’s ideal of beauty. Things happen gradually, but by the time she realizes what’s been done to her, it’s already too late.
What really hit me wasn’t just the corporate satire or the body horror (though both were excellent). It was our narrator’s loneliness. She’s brilliant, disciplined, but also deeply isolated. First by the racism and bullying she faces as a child prodigy. Then by grief. And then by this relentless, silent pressure to assimilate.
It’s not perfect. The ending especially won’t be for everyone since it’s grim and abrupt. But I appreciate how it refused to wrap things up neatly.
Anyway. if you’re expecting a sharp satire, you’ll find it here. The beauty industry critique is clear, but it never overshadows the story. Natural Beauty is about the cost of perfection. About what it does to your body, and what it takes away from your identity. Overall, an impressive debut.
Also, major shoutout to the audiobook narrator. Carolyn Kang nailed it. ...more
Look, I’ll admit it - when I first heard someone had written another Greek mythology retelling, I sighed hard. But Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell prLook, I’ll admit it - when I first heard someone had written another Greek mythology retelling, I sighed hard. But Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell proved me wrong. Turns out, I did have room for one more.
Wiswell takes the famous, blood-soaked story of Heracles and flips it on its head. Instead of a nonstop parade of monster-slaying and muscle-flexing, this book gives us a surprisingly tender, often hilarious look at what happens when a traumatized hero decides that maybe violence isn’t the answer.
Heracles adores Hera, the goddess famous for hating him. He calls her Auntie Hera, dedicates his whole life to worshipping her, and basically turns her elaborate revenge plans into an awkward family drama. Hera, meanwhile, is at her wit’s end. Her rage over Zeus’s latest love child (Heracles) spirals so badly she accidentally causes Heracles to kill his own kids.
From there, things get interesting. Heracles needs to do Labors to discover the truth, but instead of butchering monsters left and right, he befriends them. The Nemean Lion becomes a cuddle buddy. The hydra joins the support group. In a way, it feels like the 12 Labors reimagined as a found family sitcom.
Wiswell writes well and I like his sense of humor. I also like how he continuously plays with the expectations. The book switches between Heracles’s and Hera’s perspectives. Heracles feels like a good-hearted, grieving man trying to make sense of his pain. Hera is much more complicated - stubborn, but also full of regret. I won’t lie, watching Her grapple with guilt and accountability is oddly satisfying.
And now, the downsides. The pacing gets a little wobbly. With all twelve labors squeezed in, some parts drag more than they should. But it’s a small price to pay for a story that turns divine vengeance and legendary violence into something that feels so wholesome.
Wearing the Lion is dark but also surprisingly funny and charming. If you’re tired of retellings that lean too hard on tragedy, and you want one that adds in emotional growth and hope, this one’s for you. ...more
I loved The Girl With All The Gifts, so I went into The Boy on the Bridge with high hopes. Turns out, hopes are like people in a fungal apocalypse - mI loved The Girl With All The Gifts, so I went into The Boy on the Bridge with high hopes. Turns out, hopes are like people in a fungal apocalypse - most don’t make it. Now, this book isn’t bad. It’s well written, and Carey knows how to build a grim world and an engaging plot. But it just didn’t grab me like The Girl With All The Gifts did. The characters were interesting enough, though I didn’t feel as attached to them.
Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5. Worth reading if you want more from this universe, but don’t expect it to bite as hard as the first book....more
Dark Pyramid starts off strong. The first issue is exciting and full of suspense. The idea of a missing live-streamer, a dark pyramid hidden in the AlDark Pyramid starts off strong. The first issue is exciting and full of suspense. The idea of a missing live-streamer, a dark pyramid hidden in the Alaskan mountains, and strange monsters lurking around had me hooked right away.
The art is also really solid. The snow, the cold, the wide, empty spaces - it all looks great. Visually, it's a treat all way through. Writing-wise, less so - after a great first issue, things started slipping.
The story got more typical. Characters started making dumb choices, monsters popping up just because, and some of the mystery fall apart. Parts of it felt rushed, like they skipped over important stuff or expected you to connect the dots with barely any clues. Some things honestly didn’t make much sense. There’s also humor in there - sometimes it works, sometimes it really doesn’t.
It’s not bad overall. It’s a fun, quick horror comic with monsters, conspiracies, and cool ideas. But I kept thinking about how good that first issue was. It gave me hope for something more unique that would really stand out. Sadly, the rest never quite lived up to that.
Surprisingly good. Boxed is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that feels timely. It follows a government agent tasked with “boxing” dangerous AIs before thSurprisingly good. Boxed is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that feels timely. It follows a government agent tasked with “boxing” dangerous AIs before they can threaten humanity. He needs to stop Hippocrates, an AI running the CDC, after it locks down lots of people in the name of public health.
Frank’s only hope is Pandora - an AI designed to seduce and manipulate him. And also his ex (kinda) which makes things awkward.
I liked how the story mixed pandemic fears, AI ethics, and cool Greek mythology references. It raises questions about how much power we give AI, and how easily good intentions can turn into control, or worse.
The art’s clean and engaging, with tech and character designs that are clean and easy to follow. It’s grounded sci-fi, and it leaves you wondering if AI can help us, and if we’ll survive when it tries.
If you like smart, action-packed sci-fi with moral gray areas, Boxed is worth a read....more
I enjoyed this one. Patrick Fort is a medical student with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessed with death and how the body works. When he notices somet3.5/5
I enjoyed this one. Patrick Fort is a medical student with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessed with death and how the body works. When he notices something suspicious during a cadaver dissection in his anatomy class, he begins to believe the person on the table was murdered. And unlike others, Patrick doesn’t let things go easily.
The plot also follows a comatose man who hears everything happening around him, a nurse who should probably not be a nurse, and several other characters. The story hops between these threads until they (mostly) come together.
I liked Bauer’s sharp, clean style, and brief moments of dark humor. Patrick is portrayed with care - he’s logical, literal, and often confused by human behavior, but he sees things others miss. His point of view brings something different to the crime genre.
Now, it’s not a mind-blower, but it keeps you turning the pages and occasionally muttering, “Wait, what?”. I had a good time with it, overall....more
Firebreak is a strong sequel that does everything right. It deepens the world and characters , and ups the stakes significantly. Things do get da4.5/5
Firebreak is a strong sequel that does everything right. It deepens the world and characters , and ups the stakes significantly. Things do get darker, but it still has lots of humor, a strong found family dynamic, and a few coming-of-age arcs.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series! ...more
4.5/5 but I’ll round it up. It’s not light reading, but it is brilliant.
The Shadow of the Torturer is strange, slightly unsettling and makes you feel4.5/5 but I’ll round it up. It’s not light reading, but it is brilliant.
The Shadow of the Torturer is strange, slightly unsettling and makes you feel unsure what’s going on, but you know it means something. And it’s probably important.
The story follows Severian, an apprentice torturer, who gets kicked out of his guild after doing something unthinkable in his profession: showing compassion. From there, he’s sent out into a decaying world that’s part sci-fi, part fantasy, and completely unsettling.
What I liked most is how personal and focused this first book is. Severian claims to have perfect memory, but he also has the self-awareness of a brick at times. He’s detached, oddly formal, but interesting. He tells you he forgets nothing, but he leaves out plenty. You’re never quite sure if you can trust him, but honestly, that’s part of the fun.
Gene Wolfe’s writing is dense but beautiful. He doesn’t hand you answers and attacks you with a rich vocabulary. I liked it, but this book isn’t for people who need everything explained up front or who want fast-paced action. It’s slow, full of cryptic encounters, and dreamlike moments.
It impressed me and I would recommend it to readers who like stories that trust you to keep up, that blend science fiction with myth and religion, and that take their time to tell the story. It’s challenging, yes, but it also has moments of sheer brilliance. ...more
Quite fun and entertaining. The relationships between the family are nicely done, too. That said, the second part becomes ridiculous in places an3.5/5
Quite fun and entertaining. The relationships between the family are nicely done, too. That said, the second part becomes ridiculous in places and requires a lot of suspension of belief. And I say it as a fan of all things fantasy. And actually, I think I would very much prefer it if it contained a preternatural element to twist the genre's frames.
Still, I had a reasonably good time listening to it. ...more
Dark Empty Void looks great, but the story doesn’t live up to the art. The idea sounds cool - I picked it up expecting a thrilling sci-fi horror storyDark Empty Void looks great, but the story doesn’t live up to the art. The idea sounds cool - I picked it up expecting a thrilling sci-fi horror story about scientists creating a black hole that spits out monsters. That, and the cover was stunning. But the plot is thin and easy to predict. Characters feel flat, and it’s hard to care about what happens to them. The comic often tells you how characters feel instead of showing it, which takes away from the emotional impact. Some scenes feel rushed or confusing, like parts are missing. Others over-explain. In the end, it’s just okay.
It was ok, but I really wanted to like this more than I did. The setup was solid - Phoenix, a young gardener of a rich and powerful couple starts2.5/5
It was ok, but I really wanted to like this more than I did. The setup was solid - Phoenix, a young gardener of a rich and powerful couple starts an affair with the husband and the wife tragically dies shortly after. I found the writing good, and the setting was vivid enough to picture the gardens and the drama.
But Phoenix, the main character, felt like a stranger the whole time. I never really understood her or connected with her. Her choices didn’t always make sense, and I wanted more depth, more backstory. The plot also dragged in places, especially in the middle. Some scenes were repetitive, and the tension fizzled out more than it built up.
There were moments that hooked me, especially early on, but overall, it felt like a lot of style with not enough substance. A decent read, but not one I’ll remember for long. ...more