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clockworkstars's reviews
537 reviews
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
Edinburgh in 1828, grave robbers, macabre elements, a bit of queerness, and a main character so naïve that it was flirting with stupidity at some points — and yet we love him —, what is there not to love?
This book is so great that I can't seem to find the words to describe my reading experience properly. I devoured it and finished it in a few days, even though it takes me weeks to end a book those days. I got so attached to the characters because they are really, really, loveable. We follow James, who gave up on his Oxford studies and ended up in Edinburgh to become a surgeon. We are going to discover the city as well as the world of medicine at the same time that he and I loved it really much! He was a bit naïve at times, sometimes reaching stupidity, but it added a bit of humour to the story, making you wonder “…he can't be that stupid can he” (those are actual notes that I wrote at some point). But the rest of the cast was also really loveable! I loved Charlie a lot, and I am afraid that if I start talking about Aneurin I'll still be here tomorrow (he is so incredible, a really chaotic type of character).
But characters are nothing without a story, and my, what a story! The author takes us with him in the old street of Edinburg, in the Surgeon'*, and in the graveyard, and somehow, we never once want to leave. That writing style combined with that plot was a pleasure, and I simply couldn’t put it down. I am pretty sure that it is A. Rae Dunlap's debut and let me tell you, he nailed it.
Another thing that makes me want to scream about this are the relationship. The beautiful one between Marie and Nie, the one between James and his friends that I have found quite interesting and funny at times. But also, the romance. It was so beautiful, and I adore them. The way James sees Aneurin? I just wanted to scream in a corner. Just gonna put this quote here but know that I crave for historical queer romance and characters.
I am afraid that reading this may have given me a new interest for that subject (I do take recommendations if anyone has any) but it is worth it. This book will be out on December 24th, and I do recommend it a lot.
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
"Was I, the noble son of a landed family, about to tow a freshly stolen corpse into my chamber window and exchange it for money? No, not money, Progress, I reminded myself firmly. It was simply a matter of supply and demand."
Edinburgh in 1828, grave robbers, macabre elements, a bit of queerness, and a main character so naïve that it was flirting with stupidity at some points — and yet we love him —, what is there not to love?
This book is so great that I can't seem to find the words to describe my reading experience properly. I devoured it and finished it in a few days, even though it takes me weeks to end a book those days. I got so attached to the characters because they are really, really, loveable. We follow James, who gave up on his Oxford studies and ended up in Edinburgh to become a surgeon. We are going to discover the city as well as the world of medicine at the same time that he and I loved it really much! He was a bit naïve at times, sometimes reaching stupidity, but it added a bit of humour to the story, making you wonder “…he can't be that stupid can he” (those are actual notes that I wrote at some point). But the rest of the cast was also really loveable! I loved Charlie a lot, and I am afraid that if I start talking about Aneurin I'll still be here tomorrow (he is so incredible, a really chaotic type of character).
But characters are nothing without a story, and my, what a story! The author takes us with him in the old street of Edinburg, in the Surgeon'*, and in the graveyard, and somehow, we never once want to leave. That writing style combined with that plot was a pleasure, and I simply couldn’t put it down. I am pretty sure that it is A. Rae Dunlap's debut and let me tell you, he nailed it.
Another thing that makes me want to scream about this are the relationship. The beautiful one between Marie and Nie, the one between James and his friends that I have found quite interesting and funny at times. But also, the romance. It was so beautiful, and I adore them. The way James sees Aneurin? I just wanted to scream in a corner. Just gonna put this quote here but know that I crave for historical queer romance and characters.
"Whether drinking by my side at the Pig, eyeing me appraisingly across the hall at Malstrom’s, or splayed out casually in my desk chair recovering from the rigors of a dig, he was my North Star whenever the darkness of doubt threatened to envelop me."
I am afraid that reading this may have given me a new interest for that subject (I do take recommendations if anyone has any) but it is worth it. This book will be out on December 24th, and I do recommend it a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Kidnapping and Murder
The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Booooooring (couldn't get into it :((
Small Ghost by Trista Mateer, Lauren Zaknoun
3.5
"Poetry is a survival tactic
Poetry is resistance
Poetry is proof of existence"
I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing, and I would like to thank them for that. This poetry and photography collection will be released on September 24th.
Those poems are mostly about struggling with mental health, mainly with depression. It's about how it will get better, even if we don't believe in it, and how at times it looks like it will never get better, or at least not for a long time. I believe that this work is very important to read, especially for someone struggling with similar issues. As I progressed within the poems, I saw hope coming again, the "small ghost" getting better, page by page. There was hope, and that is so important.
I also think that it is very pretty. One criticism that could be made could be that Mateer's poems are repetitive, however I do not really agree. Each poem was unique in its own way, with a similar structure but they were different enough and a pleasure to read. But also, I do believe that it is better to read this small part by small part, savour it in a way. I can see where that criticism comes from, but I personally have this trouble (not being able to read it in one sitting without getting "bored") with most of poetry. One more thing but the fact that the character of "Small Ghost" exists is what makes this book so lovely.
I straight up started sobbing while reading some of the poems, my favourite being most probably "Small Ghost shares a few too-honest poems about her life" but also "Recovery is forever". Finally, the whole thing is sublimed by Lauren Zaknoun's gorgeous photographs, which helped make this reading a whole experience
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Minor: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
“Until they returned to Ruhigburg, there was no one to turn to, no one to trust, but Sylvia von Wolff.”
I do not believe that I can objectively rate this book, even more that I don't believe that I can truly rate any book. My reading experience was… particular, and I am afraid that it would play a bit too much on the rating. This book was hard to start for me, even though it sounded perfect.
We are talking about a murder mystery, a scientific expedition with a lot of folklore inspired by German folklore, magical creatures, dark academia vibes (perfect for this start of autumn), and a lesbian rivals to lovers that is kind of slow burning. As I said, it sounds perfect to my eyes. And it became nearly perfect when I reached the middle of the book and finally got into it. And yet, the first half isn’t bad. I just believe that this author has a particular style and that it didn’t suit me for a long time. But that depends purely on me, for once.
The story, however, and its resolution were extraordinary. Once I was in the book, I couldn’t really put it down and ended in 3 days what I had been dragging for 2 weeks. I do believe that when you can get inside of it, this is an excellent book. The murder mystery part was really nice, even though I felt like it was lacking a bit in some parts before the middle. But every time Lorelei, our main character, was suspecting someone from the crew or investigating, I was invested. But I think that the best part of this book was the folklore. There were a lot of stories told across the pages of this novel, and it gave this very peculiar vibe to the story that was really lovely and nearly bewitching, maybe.
And last but not least, the characters. They are the people with whom we spend the novel, so they are, in my eyes, one of the most important parts of the book. And here, it's a hit. Lorelei, our main character, is a bit hard to like at first, she's quite tempered, and she doesn’t really trust people. But that makes her story interesting! She has been an outsider all her life, as she is Yevani (which seems to be the Jewish community equivalent in this fictional country inspired by Germany), she has no reason to trust the crew, especially when some of them are straight up horrible, and she needs to investigate the murder of her captain. So, it took me some chapters to get attached to her, yes, but once I was attached, I liked her very much. And Sylvia!! I do like her very much. She is forced to make an alliance with Lorelei as they are the only two who couldn’t have done it, and she is the other person in our rivals-to-lovers subplot. And listen. I am not the biggest fan of enemies/rivals to lovers. It needs to be really well done in order for me to like it. And here it was really well done. I love them, I love their relationship, and in fact, I started to get more involved in the book when the slow burn started to burn a bit more. As if I was falling for the story at the same time Lorelei fell for Sylvia. As for the other characters, I really liked Ludwig and the relationships between the crew in general.
So I do believe that this is a great book if you want an atmospheric read with folklore, murder, lesbians, and great characters. I would like to thank Netgalley and Daphne Press for sending me this ARC, it goes out today!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Antisemitism and Murder
Minor: Colonisation and War
The New Teen Titans, Vol. 1 by Marv Wolfman
4.0
I love them very much. The 8th issue finally ended up hyping me and now I am in
Nightwing: Year One by Andy Owens, Scott Beatty, Scott McDaniel, Chuck Dixon
1.75
Sure, it has a great art style and colours. Unfortunately, this is so out of character for absolutely every character that being pretty isn't enough to save this comic.
Add to that a mid story and the fact that every female character was depicted in a sexist way (I assure you there is no need for a focus on their boobs) and yeah you got a really mid origin story comic.
Add to that a mid story and the fact that every female character was depicted in a sexist way (I assure you there is no need for a focus on their boobs) and yeah you got a really mid origin story comic.
Légendes & Lattes by Travis Baldree
3.5
Really nice cozy fantasy, with good character. The pacing is quite fast but it's alright