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mahiyaa's reviews
51 reviews
The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
5.0
first manga i've ever read and i am absolutely blown away. ōoku is a breathtaking world of alternative history and i finished the first volume in one sitting. eighty years after a plague ravages medieval japan and causes its male population to be far more scarce than its women, ōoku does not shy away from its discussion of sexism, gender roles, and the classist barriers of feudal japan.
this is not a world with simple politics: while matriarchs now rule their families, they do so with a "male" name—it sounds more proper—a remnant of society from eighty years past. men of the ōoku are in a dog eat dog world, simultaneously victims and benefactors of their station. the poor are still, well, poor, and those unable to pay a groom price must find other ways to continue their families.
far from some other genderswapped histories, ōoku is thoughtful, engaging, and brutally honest in its dissection. i could not recommend it more!
this is not a world with simple politics: while matriarchs now rule their families, they do so with a "male" name—it sounds more proper—a remnant of society from eighty years past. men of the ōoku are in a dog eat dog world, simultaneously victims and benefactors of their station. the poor are still, well, poor, and those unable to pay a groom price must find other ways to continue their families.
far from some other genderswapped histories, ōoku is thoughtful, engaging, and brutally honest in its dissection. i could not recommend it more!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
tense
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
what other relationship can hold so much pain and love and tragedy and hope than one between a mother and her daughter?
the narration and use of second person has beautifully foreshadowed how this story would end since book one, and yet i cried reading it anyways!
the narration and use of second person has beautifully foreshadowed how this story would end since book one, and yet i cried reading it anyways!
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
dark
tense
slow-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
5.0
i suppose technically this book is slightly more slow-paced than the first one, but i had to physically stop myself from inhaling through the pages, regardless.
the prose is still so beautiful at times it hurts. maybe if you're out to critique this book you could say it suffers from the infamous second book slump: stuck between expanding the world painted in book one while setting up the ante for the finale.
i was too engrossed to care. the parallels between mother and daughter, the full circle moments between essun and alabaster, the generational trauma shown from both sides of the divide....yeah.
the prose is still so beautiful at times it hurts. maybe if you're out to critique this book you could say it suffers from the infamous second book slump: stuck between expanding the world painted in book one while setting up the ante for the finale.
i was too engrossed to care. the parallels between mother and daughter, the full circle moments between essun and alabaster, the generational trauma shown from both sides of the divide....yeah.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
i have no words. i've seen a lot of reviews that knock a point off for the developments being "obvious" from the very beginning, but the book isn't trying to hide these revelations from you. the narrator knows all of these secrets—you can know them, too. connect the dots. work your way through the spiderweb. even if you do, the subtle dread you feel—essun feels—watching it all play out is *chef's kiss*
(also, the worldbuilding and jargon isn't hard to pick up on, at least for someone who regularly reads sff. you'll get used to it quickly.)
(also, the worldbuilding and jargon isn't hard to pick up on, at least for someone who regularly reads sff. you'll get used to it quickly.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0