novella42's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Gun violence, Cursing, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Slavery, and Dysphoria
Minor: Drug abuse, Infertility, Deportation, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Torture, and Sexual assault
ritabriar's review
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This character-driven book has a rich and beautiful setting, world-building, and magical system.
The two main characters grow or change throughout the book. They don't get rid of the scars that hold them back at the beginning, but they do grow bigger than their scars so that they're not so all-consuming.
The social structure is caste-based, with legal and systematic enforcement. I really love the way the characters think about the caste system from different perspectives, specifically early on when contrasted with how Nalia I also enjoyed the way each character interacted with the local food, which was largely dependent on their caste and background. Also, man I want some good tacos now.
The magical system is inspired by mushroom ecology, the way mushrooms can permeate and connect everything in an area. The afterword mentioned "psychic mushrooms" --not psychedelic-- and this is very accurate. I loved the possibilities opened by this magic system.
This book starts at a fast pace and has a constant acceleration in pace and stakes as it goes. I still marked it as medium pace, though, because there are places you can pause along the way. The plot seems to have a structure of "walk, run, sprint, result/rest, repeat" with an echo of this structure over the entire book. Many tropes were flipped in the results, in a character-driven way.
There's a lot of sex, but there is also respect for a sex-repulsed character's wishes. (I do wish more flavors of Ace would have been acknowledged, but it's perhaps a start.) I would not call this book a romance, or even having a romance sub-plot. While there are plenty of conflicts between possible romantic interests, there is no useful resolution of the relationships on-page, though the main and main character plots ease things somewhat.
There is a lot of grey morality being practiced. Almost everyone thinks they're doing the right thing, or at least the best thing of bad options. Even Nalia
The ending was complicated: not happy but hopeful. The book ended with a generalization Also, specifically in the very last chapter, I do not like that
The two main characters grow or change throughout the book. They don't get rid of the scars that hold them back at the beginning, but they do grow bigger than their scars so that they're not so all-consuming.
The social structure is caste-based, with legal and systematic enforcement. I really love the way the characters think about the caste system from different perspectives, specifically early on when
Spoiler
Wenthi lumps "caste-jumping" in with murder and robbery in a category of the most serious crimes,Spoiler
reacts to the concept of caste-jumping with anger and disgust.The magical system is inspired by mushroom ecology, the way mushrooms can permeate and connect everything in an area. The afterword mentioned "psychic mushrooms" --not psychedelic-- and this is very accurate. I loved the possibilities opened by this magic system.
This book starts at a fast pace and has a constant acceleration in pace and stakes as it goes. I still marked it as medium pace, though, because there are places you can pause along the way. The plot seems to have a structure of "walk, run, sprint, result/rest, repeat" with an echo of this structure over the entire book. Many tropes were flipped in the results, in a character-driven way.
There's a lot of sex, but there is also respect for a sex-repulsed character's wishes. (I do wish more flavors of Ace would have been acknowledged, but it's perhaps a start.) I would not call this book a romance, or even having a romance sub-plot. While there are plenty of conflicts between possible romantic interests, there is no useful resolution of the relationships on-page, though the main and main character plots ease things somewhat.
There is a lot of grey morality being practiced. Almost everyone thinks they're doing the right thing, or at least the best thing of bad options. Even Nalia
Spoiler
is definitely practicing categorical thinking, and assumes because of it that Wenthi has never really suffered.The ending was complicated: not happy but hopeful. The book ended with a generalization
Spoiler
enforced by (conditional, magical) violence and presented it as a good solution for the situation. Being a generalization, I think there were likely places where the violent solution made things worse. I hope these will be addressed in the next book, if there is one.Spoiler
Lathei would have left if she had not been asked to stay by that specific person, at that specific time, in that specific way. I honestly think less of that person for asking her do to something she would not have otherwise done. Because of the reasons she stayed, I am not sure Lathei will be as helpful as that person is hoping, in the long term.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Drug use, Confinement, and Classism
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Death, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Gun violence, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
jordandotcom's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars at least. God this was so good and an absolute blast. a bit slow to start but so worth it. i did think some of the parts in the last 30 or so pages were dumb but these were minor and did not detract from how much I fucking loved this.
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
3.0
I was this close to DNF during the first 20% of the book. I'm glad I stuck with it! It's a fun ride (pun intended) with important messages about caste, power, and resistance. I enjoyed the unique structuring of human relationships, the mushrooms, the spirituality, and the grit. Other plusses: Female protagonists, complicated relationships, imperfect humans, and intense trust and collaboration.
elvime's review against another edition
4.0
might be the horniest book I've ever read but also manages to squeeze in some really good worldbuilding, a mushroom goddess in the radios, a classic dancing with wolves-type of story abt a cop realizing how he might be one of the bad guys, medical experiments, some motorcycle racing and some thoughts about anticolonialism. don't know what I thought about the ending really, but everything else really worked surprisingly well? lots of classic tropes but still manages to feel unique. and also, everyone is bi? i had a great time reading it!
elliotvanz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
When I started this book I was excited. I was amped to read a book about revolution, motorcycles, psychic mushrooms, and a bunch of bisexual punks forming a found family. On the surface this book has some of that but when you go deeper not so much.
As the book progressed I liked it less and less until by the time I reached the end I had lost all interest and was somewhat exasperated. At every turn I kept waiting for the protagonist to become someone better. And he doesn't. The revolution aspect is disappointing and ends up with a white savior serving as a deus ex machina. The found family is a lie. The bisexual element made me bristle because it seemed to reinforce the stereotype that bisexual means horny all the time and will sleep with literally anyone. (Nothing wrong with writing a society like that, but it wasn't what I was hoping for or pitched.) And the mushrooms make less and less sense the more the book tried to explain, and could have been used in far more interesting ways. I suppose the motorcycles were still cool.
One of the core problems for me is I just didn't think the prose was up to snuff, and it made the other problems with the story structure and characterization all the more noticeable. It just never gels, and the more I poked at it the more it fell apart. All in all this was a book that set up a bunch of cool ideas and then just missed every opportunity to do something I found interesting or emotionally resonate. I'm glad other people seem to enjoy it but for me it missed the mark entirely.
gotoboston's review against another edition
4.0
This was really interesting. Probably one of the most unique books I've read in a long while. This book had a lot going for it. Dark themes of colonization, a rebellion, all wrapped up in a techopunk story with motorcycles and racing.
It was really a lot of fun and I very much enjoyed it. Though, I'm hesitant to say I loved it. Maybe I might in the future bump this rating up.
It was really a lot of fun and I very much enjoyed it. Though, I'm hesitant to say I loved it. Maybe I might in the future bump this rating up.
macthekat's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I will make one pun: what a wild ride!
This was a hard read but also a wild and amazing read. It's fast pasted and full of action, but it also grabbes with colonialism andv the hard work of revolution
This was a hard read but also a wild and amazing read. It's fast pasted and full of action, but it also grabbes with colonialism andv the hard work of revolution
amyjoy's review
4.0
This is an original, exciting, action packed, gritty fantasy. It took me a little bit of time to get into because there's so much world building to be done, but I think the world Maresca made is great. It feels fresh and original, and I like that it's Central American inspired and not another Western European all white world. The main characters are all brown skinned, and sexuality is super fluid for all the characters. A secondary character is ace, and everyone is pretty chill about it. Her friends tease her, but they support her.
elisenic's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0