#queer booklr

Sunrise On The Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

5/5 stars | 382 pages | audio & digital | 2nd prequel to the Hunger Games

We started off the month strong! Sunrise On The Reaping is Collins' second prequel to the Hunger Games series. This time, we're following Haymitch, a previous District 12 victor, who in the original series as Katniss and Peeta's mentor.

If you don't know what the Hunger Games is all about: it chronicles the eponymonous Hunger Games, a televised competition where children from the various District compete to the death, presided over by the tyrannical Capitol. This is a modern classic, for sure, and I recommend everyone read at least the original trilogy! It's an emotional gutpunch, full of social critiques while still being action packed.

This description could be easily applied to Sunrise On The Reaping. While the previous prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, had a different take on the structure, here we return to the bread and butter of the trilogy. Similarly to The Hunger Games, we follow Haymitch's journey into the games, what happens in the Arena, and the immediate aftermath. I was glad to return to this familiar setup -- I think Collins mastered it, and it works so, so well. But it's no wonder reviewers are calling it "the saddest Hunger Games book"... The final two chapters are gut wrenching reminders of the devastation of the Games, and beautifully interwoven with the poetry that has always been a keystone of the series. A stunner!! Highly recommend!

In An Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire

4/5 stars | 204 pages | audio & digital | #4 in the Wayward Children

In a surprise twist, I've returned to the Wayward Children series... After having read one of the novellas a couple years back, I had decided the series wasn't for me... But I decided to give the even numbered books another go, since they're small portal fantasy adventures. The odd numbered books tell the story of what happens after the children return from their parallel worlds, when they all live together in Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.

I was excited for some straight-forward magical adventures, and that's what I got! I really enjoyed Lundy's story, as she travels to the weird realm of the Goblin Market, where deals are all everyone does. I like the sinister twist on the classic portal fantasy story, and the commentary on Lundy's life when she returns "home". The narration is also top-tier. It follows impeccably and has a nice, fresh character to it. And, of course, the crown jewel here is the world-building -- it's refreshing, and, although not very detailed, super vivid.

Lovely novella, and I would highly recommend -- even if you didn't particularly enjoy another installment in the series.

Time's Agent, by Brenda Peynado

2.25/5 stars | 207 pages | digital | standalone

I was super excited to pick up Time's Agent, as it has a super cool pitch! This novella follows Raquel, a former agent that cataloged pocket time-warping parallel universes. But everything has gone pear-shaped -- her wife is living in a pocket universe nestled in her necklace, and her daugher's consciousness is inside a metal robot dog.

So, yeah, it sucks to be Raquel -- but that's about it for the book. It starts with a lively exploration of her hayday, but then quickly devolves into her future. Suddenly the world is cartoonishly apocalyptic. Though I understand what Peynado is going for, the social critique falls flat from the sheer exaggeration of the many, many disasters. Similarly, Raquel's grief doesn't feel like a compelling portrait, but rather a quick sketch. And although the worldbuilding is interesting, the cool details are glossed over in long, long lists of all the terrible things that are happening in this dystopia.

The novella also strives for a message of indigenous liberation which is very haphazardly tacked on as a climax. It's mentioned before, but barely developped before the "explosive" finish of the final chapter. I found it lackluster and disappointing. The use of random Spanish words in the middle of phrases is also awkward and looses its charm as soon as it starts. This is a definite pet peeve of mine, but it felt particularly odd, here. Overall, this unfortunately wasn't the enjoyable read I was expecting.

Someone You Can Build A Nest In, by John Wiswell

4/5 stars | 310 pages | audio | standalone

Another one I was excited about -- Someone You Can Build A Nest In also has an interesting pitch. It's a horror comedic comedy, about a monster who falls in love with a human... Who just might be trying to kill her.

I honestly wasn't expecting to like this! I'm not a horror gal, but I ate this one up! I think it was Carmen Rose's lilting narration and Wiswell's almost cozy writing. It's a bizarre comp, to be sure, but it works! I found myself rooting for the main couple, despite their circumstances. I also found the plot around the romance to be super compelling -- maybe even more than the main pairing. This is kind of rare in romance books, and so it was refreshing to be gripped by the background shennanigans. There's also a strong and emotional reflection on motherhood, family, duty... Such an enjoyable and unexpected experience! I highly recommend -- though beware of some vivid descriptions of... internal organs and the like.

Paladin's Grace, by T. Kingfisher

2.5/5 stars | 398 pages | audio & digital | #1 in the Saint of Steel series

I ended up following that with another romance, but that unfortunately fell flatter... I have been meaning to get into T. Kingfisher (and this won't be my last try, for sure!), so I was excited to read Paladin's Grace. This fantasy romance follows Grace, a perfumist with a haunting past, and Stephen, a paladin with a dead god and a lot of guilt. Oh, and there's some murders!

At first I was enjoying myself, but I felt it went off the rails from the midpoint onwards. As with a lot of romances, the B plot overtook the story, particularly in the climatic finish, leaving little room for the relationship to finish growing. Stephen is a compelling character, but he isn't utilized to his full potential, and Grace isn't fleshed out enough. I ended up forcing myself to finish this, and left feeling that I had read nothing special. This could be any couple, really, and not even necessarily a fantasy one. I continue to have high hopes for Kingfisher's work, though, and I'm excited to keep reading -- I'm sure something will stick!

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, by Andrew Joseph White

5/5 stars | 381 pages | audio | standalone

And, to finish the month off with another bombshell... I had been avoiding The Spirit Bares Its Teeth for its horror-ness (specifically medical horror!) for a while. But my urge to read about an autistic medium trans boy locked away in a school for insane young ladies in a ghost-filled Victorian England... it was too strong! And I'm so thankful for that!

This is AMAZING. The most vivid first person narration, chilling to the bone, which comes alive in the voice of Raphael Corkhill. I literally could not stop listening to this, and finished it on a long bus ride, after which I could not pick anything else up! It's a creepy medical horror of trans solidarity, autistic resistance and found family. It's also a harsh depiction of the realities of being a woman and of being considered insane. Silas' character jumps off the page, and is clearly either inspired by White's personal life or on his incredibly thoughtful research. Daphne, our love interest, is so real I found myself moved to tears. Silas' infatuation and eventual love feels so genuine, it reminded me of my girlfriend so vividly! Multiple times there were tears in my eyes (yes, it was awkward on the bus, thank you) and I was almost left at our rest stop because of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth. Again, not recommended for the weak-of-stomach and the medically squeamish (speaking as one myself, it was a challenge), but if you think you can do it... Do it!!