conspystery's reviews
278 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Spoiler
Even when we see Arthur towards the end (which itself is fascinating and I can’t wait to see more of his interactions with Morgan in future books!) he doesn’t immediately consume the narrative, as I feel like often happens in Arthurian lit. Morgan quite reasonably has her own concerns about Arthur, but Arthur himself isn’t at the center of them, so he doesn’t overwhelm the story.Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Spoiler
(and especially considering the detail of what Carey calls the white-star night; it gives her character so much depth, since there’s no easy cut-and-dry resolution of that guilt.)Spoiler
but it’s worked into the plot later on-- he treats her differently because he already knows who she is, which gives their entire situation more complexity (even if that detail itself if a little bit contrived, too.) Their relationship is rocky and complicated, especially in the context of Carey’s trauma.Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Violence and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Spoiler
murder and death are- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
Earthsea is built around cycles, and I think the realization that death is also a cycle that must be maintained hits so hard in this book. Just as the characters have to face it, so too do we, the audience-- this is the last book. There has to be an ending. Ergo I love the fact that this book’s ending is so beautiful even in its most tragic moments. Alder dies, but meaningfully so (and we know his cat gets a happy ending, too, a tiny detail I’m endlessly glad Le Guin included earlier on in the novel.) Tehanu assumes her form as a dragon and leaves to be with Kalessin and Orm Irian on the other wind, but her presence continues in the impact of her actions, and there is always the hope of reunion. Lebannen and Seserakh marry, ushering in an uncertain but optimistic age of unity and balance in Earthsea. I particularly love the scene we end on of a dialogue between Tenar and Ged at home; the Odyssey-like yet subverted homecoming of Tenar to Ged is clever and beautiful at once, and truly feels like a cycle returning to its beginning.I picked up A Wizard of Earthsea on a whim this time last year, and I could not be more glad I did. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a fantasy series, or any series at all, quite like this one-- the Earthsea Cycle has such a wonderful quality of optimism and acceptance and growth to it, with truly affecting messages about the power of goodness, trust, acceptance, change, and balance to be found in its characters and worldbuilding. The Other Wind is a fittingly bittersweet send-off to an incredible story; it’s everything I love about Earthsea, phenomenal writing and genuine characters and a vibrant world and monumental scale and powerful themes converged. Le Guin is unparalleled. Earthsea is inimitable. Everyone should read this series.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
- 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
3.0
Ultimately, I thought Epic of Helinthia was decent. I’m disappointed I didn’t connect more with its setting and some of its character choices, but the parts that were good were solidly good. This book would be great for someone new to Greek mythology or interested in reading dense, transformative adaptations of historical settings. It’s an ambitious story, and I commend Pankey for taking it on, especially as a debut. I’m excited to see where the sequel and third book go and to see how Pankey’s writing has evolved by the time they’re released.
Graphic: Rape, Bullying, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ultimately, I loved Tales From Earthsea-- I don’t think it’s quite as strong as the other books in the series, but only fractionally so, and only for minor structural reasons. Earthsea is a pretty high bar to match, anyway. All the stories were fascinating in their own ways, even the reference material included at the end (which I also loved stylistically-- those kind of description texts are so much fun), and I think they’re definitely worth a reread now that I’ve finished the whole Earthsea Cycle. This book in conversation with The Other Wind is just endlessly intriguing to me, and I know when I go back and reread the whole series from the beginning, the same will be true for its connections to all the other novels. Plus, the foreword and afterword were genuinely affecting! I’m normally unmoved by that kind of thing, but these ones are lovely and impactful and enlightening in all senses of the word. Le Guin remains unparalleled. This book was phenomenal.
Graphic: Death
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ultimately, though, I think my favorite thing about Chouette is the versatility of its resonance-- something that is achieved, I think, by Oshetsky’s authenticity in this story. No matter how you interpret Chouette, no matter what allegorical or literal meaning you find in it, it has something important and personal to say about the measures society uses to evaluate, predict, and judge individuality-- and how we can and should transcend those measures which emphasize perceived acceptance over authentic personhood, no matter what society has ingrained in us to do instead. I adore Chouette. I can’t wait to read it again.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Excrement, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Blood, Animal death, Ableism, Medical trauma, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Incest, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spoiler
herself is a contradiction in Earthsea’s society. She occupies opposing roles. She’s a victim of violent assault, a curious youth, Tenar’s daughter, a force of immense power, born of dragons, a girl: in the power structure of Earthsea’s society, these things cannot be true at once. She opposes herself, breaks the rules, forces the people around her to confront the dissonance in their worldviews… just like the repeated opposing images. When she’s given her true name at the end, Tehanu, Tenar realizes the coalescence of her daughter’s identity, finally understanding that she is multifaceted rather than contradictory. And so is every woman, and man, and person, and dragon in Earthsea.I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Le Guin is unparalleled. Tehanu is phenomenal, almost mythological in its implications, and I truly think it’s one of the best in the series. I love it.
Graphic: Death, Torture, Stalking, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Blood
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Alcohol, Stalking, and Medical content
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Spoiler
the subtext behind the emphasis on his Southern accent. To me, it felt like the Southern accent was being used as a subconscious red herring for his character arc, since a lot of the time the American South is associated with conservatism and, thus, homophobia. I think he comments on it after everything is revealed, how difficult it is to be gay in a Southern family. This is an interesting thing to explore, but I don’t know how I feel about the subtextual equation of Southernness and homophobia, even if it’s only used as a “gotcha” moment later on. If that wasn’t what his accent was included for… then why would it have been emphasized at all? It felt a little bit insincere and cheap to me, no matter how well the audiobook narrator sold it-- more on that later.My thoughts on the sequel are another story. But One of Us is Lying was overall a solid YA thriller, no matter how picky I am about it.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Death of parent