andyblake's reviews
5 reviews

The Name-Bearer by Natalia Hernandez

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

This debut novel by Natalia Hernandez was delightful. The world is a rich tapestry of Latiné cultures in a fantasy setting. The Name-Bearer follows the main character after through 3 distant stages of her life: childhood, teenage years, and into young adulthood. I appreciate how each time period feels different not only for the main character herself but also for the reader, with different characters and emotions coming in and out of her life throughout it all. My only small complaint is that there were a few points where Hernandez seems to tell through exposition rather than show through story, but I think this is mostly because of the vast world that she has created and the many ways in which the story interacts with it. I'm definitely going to be reading the sequel when it comes out!

Disclosure: I was provided with a digital advanced reader copy from the author. 

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

In the third novella in The Singing Hills cycle, Nghi Vo continues her excellent storytelling through the eyes of Cleric Chih. They meet several very intriguing characters along the way and, as with the first two books, gather stories from each. I enjoy how the near-mythological tales told by the storytellers are interwoven with the present-day story of Cleric Chih's experience. Vo's description of the little details that Chih notices in intense moments particularly stood out to me as insightful and poignant. I'm also glad to see the return of Almost Brilliant and her snarky commentary!

ARC provided by the publisher Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Violence and War

Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell

challenging informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Points of hope flickering in a bleak world — that's my initial impression after reading Arboreality. This set of interconnected stories follows several characters as they navigate a world ravaged by climate change. I was initially drawn to this book simply by the cover and was rewarded with small vignettes highlighting what life could look like on Vancouver Island as fires, floods, and pandemics lead to a different world. I enjoyed following characters as they grappled with the "before" and the "after." Overall, this book is more about the characters themselves than it is a bland treatise on the effects of climate change. Rebecca Campbell writes a very poignant novella that is timely for today's world.

How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That's Great News by Peter Enns

4.0

Let me start with little a disclaimer: I already love pretty much anything Pete Enns writes and several of his earlier books have given me some great insight and language for my own spiritual journey, especially concerning the Bible.

How the Bible Actually Works is a logical and necessary follow-up to his previous books of For the Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty. Whereas the first two books break are mostly concerned with what the Bible is *not* and tearing down down some unhealthy mindsets which are prevelant in the Western Church today, How the Bible Actually Works is primarily constructive and seeks to explain what to actually do with this ancient, diverse, and ambiguous text we call the Christian Scriptures. Enns offers much insight into approaching it as a book of wisdom and not as a rule book.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who already follows Enns's work, especially those who have read one or both of his previous books mentioned above. The writing is witty and engaging overall (although I found it too rambling at times, which is why my rating is closer to 4.5 stars than a full 5). But for real, this book is great!

*I received a free copy of How the Bible Actually Works from Harper One as a member of Enns's launch team.

Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

4.0