syinhui's reviews
67 reviews

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

What a stunning work of fiction! Reading The Spear Cuts Through Water is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind experience. Simon Jimenez has crafted something truly magical—a blend of fable, folklore, and myth that feels both expansive and deeply personal. The author must have been so proud to pull off something so unique and inventive. I can only think he had achieved exactly what he intended with this book and made it work spectacularly. From a technical perspective, it deserves a perfect 5-star rating. However, I took off half a star due to a few minor gripes that affected my overall enjoyment.

One thing I find particularly special in this book—aside from the stylistic choice of narration—is the deliberate inclusion of ordinary people’s voices. How it weaves the lives of the insignificant and often forgotten people into the fabric of its tale. These side characters are given their own perspectives, adding more depth and heart and humanity to the story. 

The prose is masterfully written, it is modern and also very poetic without ever becoming dense. That said, I was occasionally jarred by the constant switching point of views. While this is something readers can adjust to, it could still get a little confusing. 

I have a high appreciation for what this book has managed to achieve and the novelty of it despite that on a personal level, and honestly speaking, I didn’t find the plot super engaging nor was I strongly attached with the characters. I expected to be gut-punched by the more emotionally heavy and heartbreaking scenes. I expected to be a crying mess but that didn’t occur. The swell of emotions was there but the anticipated impact didn’t quite land. It remained a tale to be told, a performance to be watched and the inherent quality of oral storytelling created a sort of distance between the readers and the characters. The unique narrative structure itself prevented me from fully enjoying the book. Plus, some parts feel longer than necessary. Some parts can be boring and less interesting.

Still, these are minor complaints in the face of what the author has accomplished. A remarkable read, worthy of its praises. 

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat

5.0

The Warrior Prophet by R. Scott Bakker

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

3.0

It’s amazing that I managed to finish this book without liking a single character. Deeply flawed, highly unlikable, detestable people—one and all. They became increasingly insufferable to read, especially the women: Esmenet and Serwë. Weeps. “Oohhh Kellhus this, ooohh Kellhus that.” Weeps. Just when I thought Esmenet’s character had improved,

she fell head over heels for Kellhus

(something I expected would happen) and lost whatever sense of agency she’d initially gained. 

 

In the end, I was left caring for nothing and nobody—save, perhaps, the Second Apocalypse to happen and kill them all. Sorry, Achamian. 

 

Now, that sounds like I really loathed this book and its characters, but I didn’t. Not really. To be more exact, I was just indifferent. 

 

I have a lot more to say, but I just can't be bothered to expand on this review at the moment. 

 

I’ll see it through to the third book, but I’m not at all thrilled by the prospect of reading it. 

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

3.25

Old habits die hard. Apparently, that’s also true for our favorite rogue killing machine SecUnit. 

Once again, Murderbot is back, saving a bunch of stupid humans from either offing each other or being taken out by hostile entities. Nothing new or remarkable about the plot. In fact, it’s a bit dry and felt a little more lackluster compared to the previous novellas. As usual, the human characters are bland and incompetent, which is also why I find Murderbot’s interaction with other intelligent bots/AI like Miki and ART far more engaging. 

The world-building also leaves much to be desired. I mean, we are left to imagine what the places look like most of the time. But then again, Murderbot has never been big on describing settings or delving into the world’s lore, especially when it’s more concerned on hacking systems and evading detection everywhere it goes. That, and alone time binge-watching TV shows. Non-human protagonist. Different priorities. Putting it that way, I guess it’s sort of makes sense why the world-building suffers. 

That said, I still adore the series. I’m still fully onboard with Murderbot’s adventures and self-discovery. I just hope the next installments tighten up the plot and give characters a bit more depth. Though, with three books done, I won’t be holding my breath. 

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

funny mysterious tense fast-paced

2.75

I loved the premise of this book—it’s fun, interesting, and quite terrifying. Most of all, it features queer characters in a horror setting. I thought I’d have a great time! Unfortunately, while I liked the first half, the second half completely missed the mark for me.

At times, the writing felt very YA and some parts towards the end were a bit cringey. Aside from Misha, the other characters lacked depth and nuance. There was hardly any personality to Zeke and Tara’s personality is all about being loud and wearing flashy outfits. 

The tech horror was also on the weaker side, and ultimately the most disappointing part of the book for me. The monsters were unique but I found them more goofy and quirky than frightening that I really couldn’t take them seriously. As a result, it definitely wasn’t the heart-pounding novel the blurb catered it to be.

I really wanted to love this and I appreciate the book’s intention and message, but even those were too on the nose to the point of being annoying. 

Great concept on paper though. Execution-wise, it didn’t deliver.

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

You were you and I was me and there was this thing between us. 

This book was so good—not only in its realistic portrayal of grief, which was so raw and personal, but also for the moments that were genuinely terrifying. The possessed Alexa-like speaker immediately hooked me in, but it was such a small part of the horror that, after its reveal, I had no idea where the rest of the story was headed.

The first half of the book was solid—interesting and relentlessly creepy. The parts about loss and grief were delivered beautifully; some of them deeply resonated with me. I’ve highlighted several lines that I know will stay with me for a long while.

Then Thiago went off to live in a cabin in the snowy mountains of Colorado, away from everyone except, surprise, the thing that’s haunting him. That’s where the story started to go downhill. The other half became a sustained descent into unreality. The events as Thiago writes it became opaque and disorienting. The last quarter of the book nearly lost me. I was confused and uncertain, as if I’d missed something. But I hadn’t.

It was Thiago’s reality that had warped. A thing dissolving before our eyes.

The entry into cosmic horror is a mixed bag for others, but I personally loved it. As someone who has a certain threshold for supernatural horror, this book gave me the heebie-jeebies without leaving me feeling cursed after reading it. The ending was just tragic and heartbreaking.

I thought the switch to third-person at the end was a nice, chilling touch. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a book with similar vibes to A24 horror movies. 

Absolutely devastating. One of my best reads so far this year. Also a plus for the hypnotic and mesmerizing cover art. 

Pull me out of the wall Pull me out of the wall Pull me out of the wall Pull me out of the wall Pull me out of the wall Pull me out of the wall Out of the flux

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

3.25

So soooo underwhelming. I honestly didn’t expect this from a series that’s so thoroughly hyped, loved and well-praised. It took me so long to finish this, a lot longer for my liking because I kept losing interest. I guess the pacing that drags then suddenly picks up is partly to blame  but also none of the twist and reveals managed to surprise me. I stayed for the characters and although I liked them, I didn’t love them.

Overall, there were many aspects of this trilogy that just faltered in execution. Sad fact, but you gotta be realistic about these things.

Final Rating:

The Blade Itself - 3.5 / 5
Before They Are Hanged - 3.5 / 5
Last Argument of Kings - 3.25 / 5

Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud

dark mysterious fast-paced

3.0

Crypt of the Moon Spider, as a whole,  reads like a weird and terrible dream sequence. It also unfolds in the way dreams often do - where events and settings sometimes defy logic, and we’re vaguely aware of the absurdity, powerless to change it. People would say and do random, confusing things that we’d accept without question. The dream continues its disjointed course, with the actors and scenes shifting unpredictably. 

At least, that was my experience . It really helped my enjoyment to imagine this from a dreamlike perspective rather than as a solid and cohesive SF gothic-horror story. Its appeal to me lies in how surreal the whole thing was so instead of being creeped out and terrified, I was just mostly weirded out despite the spiders and depictions of body/medical horror. 

The premise is definitely striking but I’d suggest not to expect explanations as to how or why, particularly on the scientific side of things. A little suspension of disbelief is necessary. Still, not a bad read, though it could  benefit from improved world-building and pacing. 

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

I thought they’d match each other’s freak so well and go on this destructive cycle for a number of pages more, turned out one is actually saner than the other. After that the story didn’t pick up and just ended - no final note to bring some conclusion or further information to the case mentioned at the beginning. 

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke could have been really good if it hadn't ended so abruptly. It had the potential to do more, and it would have been a lot better. I couldn't rate it any lower because I was hooked and finished it in one sitting ; it just feels rushed and sadly not fully developed . 

I agree with the criticism about the lack of distinct character voices and how the emails often sound unrealistic. It’s the same with Martyr and Ambrose in You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood. Their verbal sparring feels a little pretentious and strange for the time but didn’t mind it as much since their social status justifies it somehow.

It also think it failed to effectively deliver its intended message and if it tried on being  a commentary on sexuality, social/financial class or power dynamics, it  fell short of doing so. 

A page-turner, but ultimately a massive disappointment. 

You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

I love that this short horror book allows for multiple readings and interpretations. I don’t quite understand the complaints on this having ‘no plot’, ‘no point’, or ‘no concrete ending’, because what it’s about should be quite clear from the start - in A Note from the Editor. The collection of texts, recordings, and the novella within the novella - which takes up a large portion of the book - serve only as gateways into the killer’s psyche, mere glimpses into the complex and damaged mind of such an individual. And in the end, you’ll realize, even that little understanding is in fact taken away from you. It’s not meant to give an entire life story or a deep dive into one.

Calling this book "unique" feels a bit ironic, as so much of it feels like a reference (which in part, it is) or a version of something I’ve already seen in movies and TV series. The novella within this novella, which is also titled, You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood feels more like watching a  trippy, nightmarish, horror/sci-fi film where the unsettling atmosphere takes precedence over the plot. In parts - the VR game concept and the story of Martyr and Ambrose - it’s really nothing new but then it comes together and it makes for something special, strange, and truly horrifying as well as thought-provoking. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. 

The fragmented narrative structure worked well for me. It’s refreshing and unusual, the sense of disconnect adding more to the dread and suspense. The ambiguity also leaves room for readers to come away with their own speculations and that’s something I enjoy a lot in my books. 

Five stars because this packed a punch despite being short. Finished it quickly and kept me on my toes the whole time.  Short is perfect for these type of tense and disturbing stories. 

Excited to read more from this author.