kamreadsandrecs

kamreadsandrecs, 1 day ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Stars of Chaos (Sha Po Lang) Vol. 2 by priest is now live! This volume builds on both the relationship of the leads and the worldbuilding as a whole, making for a VERY entertaining read.

#danmei #historical #alternatehistory #steampunk

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/750526349354156032/title-stars-of-chaos-sha-po-lang-vol

kamreadsandrecs, 8 days ago to Horror

@bookstodon My #review of Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina is now live! This would be even creepier and more tense if the narrative had been arranged differently, but otherwise it's pretty awesome.

#horror #thriller #mystery

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/749959062366683136/title-indian-burial-ground-author-nick

kamreadsandrecs, 14 days ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Stars of Chaos/Sha Po Lang Vol. 1 by priest has gone live! Enjoyed this more than MDZS, I have to say, mostly because of the worldbuilding and the plot.

#danmei #historical #steampunk #alternatehistory

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/749340752938762240/title-stars-of-chaossha-po-lang-vol-1-author

kamreadsandrecs, 22 days ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Archangel's Lineage (Guild Hunter #16) by Nalini Singh is now live! Nothing remarkable plotwise, but there's plenty of interesting new developments here that'll hopefully be expounded upon in the next books in the series.

#romance #urbanfantasy

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/748686698215555072/title-archangels-lineage-guild-hunter

kamreadsandrecs, 23 days ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Invisible Guardian (Baztan Trilogy #1) by Dolores Redondo (trans. Isabelle Kaufeler) has gone live! A pretty good mystery as far as I was concerned, though I wonder if the rough spots I encountered are a result of the translation rather than the author's writing.

#mystery #thriller

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/748598690368847872/title-the-invisible-guardian-el-guardi%C3%A1n

kamreadsandrecs, 28 days ago to history

@bookstodon My #review of Crusaders by Dan Jones has gone live! An interesting overview of the history of the crusades, albeit a bit dry. The audiobook was more entertaining imo.

#nonfiction #history

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/748070535680901120/title-crusaders-an-epic-history-of-the-wars-for

kamreadsandrecs, 1 month ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Neferura by Malayna Evans is now live! The only way I can describe this book is "adequate", which is unfortunate given all the potential it had.

#historical

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/745528028824731648/title-neferura-author-malayna-evans-genres

kamreadsandrecs, 2 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Scorched Grace (Sister Holiday Mystery #1) by Margot Douaihy has just gone live! The language and voice of the narrator sucked me in after the first three paragraphs and did NOT let go until the very end. An absolute delight, with a few very small nitpicks.

#mystery

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/744637829709250560/title-scorched-grace-sister-holiday-mystery

kamreadsandrecs, 2 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, trans. Natasha Wimmer is now live! A fascinating Borgesian take on a crucial historical event, that makes the reader think about storytelling, fact, fiction, and the fluidity between them.

#historical #literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/743633158473383936/title-you-dreamed-of-empires-author-%C3%A1lvaro

kamreadsandrecs, 2 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2 #lightnovel by Natsu Hyuuga, Kevin Steinbach (trans.) and Touko Shino (illust.) is now live! This was enjoyable as the first volume, not least because the setting and mysteries expand.

#historical #mystery

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/742898021990301696/title-the-apothecary-diaries-vol-2-light

kamreadsandrecs, 2 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 1 #lightnovel by Natsu Hyuuga, Kevin Steinbach (trans.) and Touko Shino (illust.), is now live! A fast, delightful read with a thoroughly entertaining protagonist.

#historical #mystery

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/742798880173867008/title-the-apothecary-diaries-light-novel-vol

kamreadsandrecs, 2 months ago to Horror

@bookstodon My #review of The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is now live! Terrifying, heartbreaking, and anger-inducing, but not because of the ghosts - or rather, not JUST because of the ghosts.

#historical #horror

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/742715067168096256/title-the-reformatory-author-tananarive

kamreadsandrecs, 3 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of Mobility by Lydia Kiesling is now live! An infuriating read - but in the good way that makes you ask some hard questions with potentially uncomfortable answers.

#literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/740266805566799872/title-mobility-a-novel-author-lydia

kamreadsandrecs, 4 months ago to sciencefiction

@bookstodon My #review of Singer Distance by Ethan Chatagnier is now live! Loved the language, but the plot and the ending really undermine the whole thing.

#sciencefiction #historical #literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/739086251526848512/title-singer-distance-author-ethan

kamreadsandrecs, 4 months ago to journalism

@bookstodon My #review of Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista is now live! Not entirely bad for a foreign readership (likely the main target audience), but it fails to show that a LOT of people pushed back against Duterte. Many lived in fear, but not all bowed their heads.

#nonfiction #journalism

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/737835874775154688/title-some-people-need-killing-a-memoir-of

kamreadsandrecs, 5 months ago to Horror

@bookstodon My #review of Rouge by Mona Awad is now live! Darkly beautiful and intensely bittersweet, this actually managed to make me cry towards the end. That is VERY much a compliment.

#horror #mystery #thriller #literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/736752707724001280/title-rouge-author-mona-awad-genres-horror

kamreadsandrecs, 5 months ago to fantasy

@bookstodon My #review of Paladin's Faith (Saint of Steel #4) by T. Kingfisher is now live! Kingfisher knocks it out of the park once again in this continuation of one of the best #romantasy series currently available.

#fantasy #romance #mystery

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/736460754231967744/title-paladins-faith-saint-of-steel-4-author

kamreadsandrecs, 5 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is now live! Expected a gothic or maybe folk horror story, but instead got a story about how our connections to others can change the people around us, for better and for worse. Very much a pleasant surprise.

#historical #literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/735475332648468480/title-the-essex-serpent-author-sarah

kamreadsandrecs, 5 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Night Ocean by Paul La Farge is now live! This was a really compelling read in ways that I hadn’t expected, but was pleasantly surprised by.

#historical #mystery #literaryfiction

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/734553798258917376/title-the-night-ocean-author-paul-la

kamreadsandrecs, 6 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of The Words of Kings and Prophets (Gael Song 2) by Shauna Lawless is now live! This was a great continuation of the first book, and builds on the characters and events laid down previously, but really feels more like a transition book to something bigger. Which isn't a bad thing; just a small gripe about it.

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/733932518533890048/title-the-words-of-kings-and-prophets-gael-song

kamreadsandrecs, 6 months ago to history

@bookstodon My #review of #Unruly by David Mitchell is now live! Pretty fun overview of the early history of the UK monarchy, but YMMV when it comes to the author's politics and humor.

#nonfiction #history

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/732475106520104960/title-unruly-a-history-of-englands-kings-and

kamreadsandrecs, 7 months ago to scifi

@bookstodon My #review of #TheVoidAscendant (The Void #3) by #PremeeMohamed is now live! A fantastic conclusion to the trilogy that breaks your heart and puts it back together again in a way that's not quite perfect, but still good anyway.

#bookreview #scifi #horror

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/730206206762860544/title-the-void-ascendant-the-void-trilogy

kamreadsandrecs, 7 months ago to bookstodon

@bookstodon My #review of #CityofEchoes by #JessicaWarnberg is now live! In fascinating prose, Wärnberg tells the twined stories of the papacy and of Rome, and shows how the popes, the city, and the people of Rome have and will continue to influence each other.

Full review here: https://kamreadsandrecs.tumblr.com/post/729753135409774592/title-city-of-echoes-a-new-history-of-rome-its