Reviews

Aetherbound, by E.K. Johnston

erynnerung's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was so lovely. It's the drama-free love triangle where each edge is a different kind of love. It's the girl whose magic blossoms when she's allowed to joyfully eat all the calories she wants. It's the tale of the Fisher King, remixed, in space.

I really really hope we'll get the rest of the trilogy someday.

snazel's review

4.0

Review on reading: Oh wow okay. Now it took me a while to get through this one, because when it starts by saying "worst family ever" it is not kidding. It starts DARK. And then we get to healing, but we have to earn the agony first.

Very inventive fantasty/sf worldbuilding, I thought it was going to be a very quiet book and then it ALL happened in the last 60 pages, fascinating in its approach to different relationship dynamics and a healing journey. And pregnancy. There is honestly a lot more pregnancy in this book than I was expecting.

Described by the author as

A little bit Arthurian, a little bit post-1992 fisheries collapse, the worst family EVER, and magic, because: why not? -(x)

OKAY SIGN ME UP.

mugs_it_is's review against another edition

Hot drivel.

venti's review

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

low rating for pregnancy trope 🏃🏻‍♀️ was too squicky for me tbh. i thought the worldbuilding was great!! was very reminiscent of warhammer 40k for me, loved the grimdark aspects etc but no the fact that pendt

Spoiler

had to get pregnant, and through natural means no less *shiver* it felt like the opposite of what would suggest character growth in her situation (and by character growth i mean not doing the thing she has always been terrified of)

way too short. wish it was longer and explained everything more because things that were rarely mentioned (the empire, the stations, the gene locks) were all very interesting.

also hot take this this wasn’t that queer! very herero in fact 😨 vaguely shoehorning in a trans character when there is so much room in your world for trans people and the implications of trans people in such a society is just lazy to me. johnston could have done so much with

Spoiler

fisher

as a character and he was just left to be the love interest as opposed to his own character. i’m salty because this could have been amazing but idk ymmv

pretty cover tho 

liz_cox's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

stellybean's review

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

emilyctrigg's review

5.0

4.5

laurenokeefe's review

4.0

3.75 rounded up! A little more detail would’ve been good, but overall a good read

my_corner_of_the_library's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lolajoan's review

3.0

Charming, creative and very interesting and engaging, but a little uneven in spots. If this is your genre I'd definitely recommend it, but if not, then this talented author probably has other options for you.