sashahc's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"The Labyrinth's Archivist" by Day Al-Mohamed is a very (unfortunately) rare #book in that it is queer disabled Middle Eastern rep. It is set in the "Broken Cities" shared world created by Falstaff Books. Azulea is from a very long line of Archivists, those who interview and collect information and make maps of the worlds that intersect at the Hall of Gates. Her mother is Head Archivist, but because of Azulea's blindness, she is unlikely to be ever accepted as a full archivist, despite her perfect memory and her teamwork with her cousin Peny. When Azulea's grandmother is found dead and other disasters start to befall the archive, Azulea must find who is trying to destroy her family and home. It's got queer second chance romance, disability community interdependence, and fantastic world building.
enbyglitch's review against another edition
5.0
A lovely novella with a unique protagonist set in a world similar to "The Serpent Gates".
The lack of page numbers and a few fixable errors threw me early on - was a little worried at first that the cool world was just setdressing, but enjoyed the way Al-Mohamed brought in little details of the Labyrinth and its worlds.
I'm glad the author found support for her pitch of a disabled, queer protagonist of color and I hope to see more of her! Perfect setting to explore all kinds of gender issues as well, potentially.
The lack of page numbers and a few fixable errors threw me early on - was a little worried at first that the cool world was just setdressing, but enjoyed the way Al-Mohamed brought in little details of the Labyrinth and its worlds.
I'm glad the author found support for her pitch of a disabled, queer protagonist of color and I hope to see more of her! Perfect setting to explore all kinds of gender issues as well, potentially.
mae_ogas's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
cher_n_books's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 stars = Good and worthwhile but something held it back from being great.
All her life, she had lived with people talking about what she was missing instead of what she had.
This is a novella from a series I have not yet read, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I picked this up as part of a monthly read selection with one of my GR groups.
What I enjoyed was how vastly different the world is to ours. The concept of an intergalactic marketplace where all kinds of humanoid species can gather to exchange ideas and trade was interesting. I appreciated the originality of the heroine being disabled by blindness as well as her sapphic relationship.
What I did not enjoy was the limitations of the story length and a dearth of quotable prose. There is no broad introduction as the reader is dropped into the world with lots of new vocabulary being thrown out that has not been explained. Because of this it took a little while for me to get engaged and I initially feared I would not like this story.
Around 15% in, things hit the fan and a mystery starts. From that point on I was fully engaged and enjoyed the story, but the ending is very abrupt with no fallout closure, follow-up or epilogue. Kind of like a Scooby-Doo episode, the villain is revealed and that’s the end.
I would not hesitate to read more works from this author or from within this world, but would seek out a longer novel next time instead of another novella.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: Azulea could smell grilled meat from Tamir’s stall in the souq abutting the Archive.
Favorite Quote: Murder. The most heinous act one individual can perpetrate on another. It is taking away not only their essence but destroying all of the choices and opportunities and changes that individual would make on the universe in the times to come. It obliterated them from all the worlds for all time.
All her life, she had lived with people talking about what she was missing instead of what she had.
This is a novella from a series I have not yet read, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I picked this up as part of a monthly read selection with one of my GR groups.
What I enjoyed was how vastly different the world is to ours. The concept of an intergalactic marketplace where all kinds of humanoid species can gather to exchange ideas and trade was interesting. I appreciated the originality of the heroine being disabled by blindness as well as her sapphic relationship.
What I did not enjoy was the limitations of the story length and a dearth of quotable prose. There is no broad introduction as the reader is dropped into the world with lots of new vocabulary being thrown out that has not been explained. Because of this it took a little while for me to get engaged and I initially feared I would not like this story.
Around 15% in, things hit the fan and a mystery starts. From that point on I was fully engaged and enjoyed the story, but the ending is very abrupt with no fallout closure, follow-up or epilogue. Kind of like a Scooby-Doo episode, the villain is revealed and that’s the end.
I would not hesitate to read more works from this author or from within this world, but would seek out a longer novel next time instead of another novella.
-------------------------------------------
First Sentence: Azulea could smell grilled meat from Tamir’s stall in the souq abutting the Archive.
Favorite Quote: Murder. The most heinous act one individual can perpetrate on another. It is taking away not only their essence but destroying all of the choices and opportunities and changes that individual would make on the universe in the times to come. It obliterated them from all the worlds for all time.
allisonmeyette's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
melvin02's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.25
This book was a great quick read with an own voice blind mc which was a really enjoyable!
alyssatuininga's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Super interesting novella with a smart, queer, blind young woman as the heroine. The world was intriguing, well-flushed out, and deep. My biggest complaint about the book was that it was too short. I wanted more story, more background, and to know more about the Labyrinth.
reeniesreads's review
5.0
First and foremost, WOW!!!
After reading a few over-hyped booktok suggestions, I decided to find an obscure fantasy read to explore the unknown. What I stumbled upon was absolute pure gold!!! I was immediately enthralled and captivated by this novella. This story is a matrimony of star wars and the atlas complex, I can explain it no other way. The initial world building in some fantasy novels can be disorienting but this author expertly conjures this world and I immediately grasped it. The plot and story are unique and I wanted more as soon as I started reading it. My sole lamentation, if I may be so bold, is that this wondrous tale concludes all too swiftly, leaving me longing for further immersion in its beguiling tapestry - I hope that the author considers delving deeper into the details of this world, I would eat it up. If you are looking for a beautiful, fulfilling journey, this is the one for you!
After reading a few over-hyped booktok suggestions, I decided to find an obscure fantasy read to explore the unknown. What I stumbled upon was absolute pure gold!!! I was immediately enthralled and captivated by this novella. This story is a matrimony of star wars and the atlas complex, I can explain it no other way. The initial world building in some fantasy novels can be disorienting but this author expertly conjures this world and I immediately grasped it. The plot and story are unique and I wanted more as soon as I started reading it. My sole lamentation, if I may be so bold, is that this wondrous tale concludes all too swiftly, leaving me longing for further immersion in its beguiling tapestry - I hope that the author considers delving deeper into the details of this world, I would eat it up. If you are looking for a beautiful, fulfilling journey, this is the one for you!
roadtripreader's review
4.0
This book pays homage to so many creative ideas that have gone mainstream - or the pages just seem to echo all of it so in that sense it does appeal to fans of many a great Space Opera Franchise Let's see:
1. The labyrinth gives of very Valerian vibes
2. The Souq feels like a calabash of Star Wars and Dune
3. There are desert people who spit and value moisture like the Fremen and The Tusken Raiders
4. Azuela - the name sounds a lot like Azula and her nickname "Zuzu" snaps one immediately into the ATLA series.
5. The distant worlds and trade between them feels familiar.
6. Some of the different races feel very Mandalorian-like.
All in all, many tidbits to appeal to many different book-series aficionados.
"Seeing" the story through this particular main character (Azuela) was very unique and quite hopeful.
1. The labyrinth gives of very Valerian vibes
2. The Souq feels like a calabash of Star Wars and Dune
3. There are desert people who spit and value moisture like the Fremen and The Tusken Raiders
4. Azuela - the name sounds a lot like Azula and her nickname "Zuzu" snaps one immediately into the ATLA series.
5. The distant worlds and trade between them feels familiar.
6. Some of the different races feel very Mandalorian-like.
All in all, many tidbits to appeal to many different book-series aficionados.
"Seeing" the story through this particular main character (Azuela) was very unique and quite hopeful.
crochanqueen13's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0