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Content Warning: death, murder, violence, gore, rape, sexual assault, necrophilia, racism, racial slurs, homophobia, homophobic slurs, torture, cannibalism. Please note that all of this content is extremely graphic. One of the main themes of the book also deals with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, so please keep that in mind as well.

Andrew Compton is a serial killer. Put in prison for the brutal murder of twenty-three boys, he languishes there, tormented not by remorse but by the mundanity of his every day life. In a stroke of pure luck, he manages an escape for the ages, fleeing from gray London to sultry New Orleans. There, he happens to meet Jay Byrne -- who is also a serial murderer. Fascinated by one another, drawn together by their shared depravities, they join forces, focusing their attentions on a beautiful, naïve Vietnamese-American boy called Tran. The only question is which of them will make it out alive...

If we were going simply off of writing, this would've been an easy 3½ or 4 stars for me. Stylistically, it's not only beautifully written, but suffused with the kind of elegant, purplish prose that enchanted me as an adolescent. Reminiscent of Anne Rice's heavy, neo-Gothic style, Brite's writing doesn't shy away from gore but maintains an element of beauty nonetheless. The plot intrigued me as well, and while two of the main characters (the aforementioned Jay and Andrew) are never likable, all of the four protagonists are interesting.

While I appreciated Brite's ability to discuss the AIDS/HIV epidemic in a meaningful way, particularly in how it destroyed an entire generation of gay men and treated them as plague-victims, it seems that that sensitivity is not extended to race. Ironically enough, while Brite explores sexuality with a nuanced lens, the characters continually espouse racism (both casual and more "direct"). Tran has his own POV sections, which in my opinion were actually the best portions of this book, but in spite of that fact there's never a condemnation of Luke (Tran's ex-boyfriend) or any of the others for their racist remarks and usage of outdated, harmful terms. 

If that aspect didn't exist, this novel would've been something that I would have greatly enjoyed, though it is rife with violence for the sake of violence. I couldn't understand why Brite decided to include the racial slurs and several characters' unchallenged racist thoughts. Yes, two of them are amoral murderers, but regardless the authorial narrative should ensure that we are not supposed to feel as if their racism is acceptable (and it isn't just the murderers who hold these views). Up until the very end, I did like the story's lines and found Jay and Andrew's relationship interesting enough, but the graphic, heart-wrenching scene at the book's climax left me feeling both horrified and angered -- and not in a pleasant way.

The single star is meant merely to symbolize that this could've been a potentially interesting book if it were not for these egregious issues I previously mentioned. I wouldn't recommend it purely because of its racist biases and racial weirdness (particularly in regards to Asian men, which felt dehumanizing and fetishistic). The gore and graphic quality of the story are almost beside the point; I haven't seen any other reviews mention the racism, which I found quite baffling. The rather disgusting (but nicely written) descriptions don't seem nearly as important. 

All in all, I was extremely disappointed by this book, especially since I thought it would be a fascinating exploration into the minds of men who are blatantly modeled off of notorious killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen. By the end, I couldn't shake the bad taste left in my mouth; Tran's role in this book left me feeling as if it were doing a disservice to the memory of Konerak Sinthasomphone, the victim of Dahmer who Tran is unsubtly based on. It's practically cut-and-past from Sinthasomphone's life and death, and rather than try to give us a deeper understanding of that horrific, pointless destruction of life, it instead recounts all the horrible details with loving and gleeful exuberance. It's nihilistic in a way that is simply unfathomable to me. 

Once again, not recommended. There are plenty of other novels that deal with serial killings and killers, done much better, with far more subtlety and class. Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. 

10 Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading in 2022 (part 1)

 

It's a New Year, and you know what that means: More amazing books to read! There are many 2022 releases that I can't wait to get my hands on, and I thought it might be fun (and possibly introduce you guys to some new books coming out!) to make a list of 22 that I'm eagerly anticipating. Hopefully I'll get a chance to read them all this year, and discover some new favorites! 

1. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings
Release Date: 02/22/22
Summary: "Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…"

2. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBT
Release Date: 05/10/22
Summary: "“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.” Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn’t care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.

But in Luli’s world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.

Siren Queen offers up an enthralling exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page."

3. The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
Genres: Fantasy, LGBT
Release Date: 06/23/22
Summary: "Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the Empire from the red-blooded ruling classes' tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she's nothing, no one, a disappointment by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the Empire. But dust always rises in a storm.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution.

As the Empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn."

4. This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, LGBT, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Release Date: 04/05/22
Summary: "In the middle of Budapest, there is a river. Csilla knows the river is magic. During WWII, the river kept her family safe when they needed it most--safe from the Holocaust. But that was before the Communists seized power. Before her parents were murdered by the Soviet police. Before Csilla knew things about her father's legacy that she wishes she could forget.

Now Csilla keeps her head down, planning her escape from this country that has never loved her the way she loves it. But her carefully laid plans fall to pieces when her parents are unexpectedly, publicly exonerated. As the protests in other countries spur talk of a larger revolution in Hungary, Csilla must decide if she believes in the promise and magic of her deeply flawed country enough to risk her life to help save it, or if she should let it burn to the ground."

5. The Wild Hunt by Lucy Holland
Release Date: 06/23/22
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Retellings
Summary: "Once an Iceni warchief, Herla was tricked into spending three days in the faery realm. But a century passed for each day she feasted, and when she and her followers emerged, it was to find the Iceni wiped out and Britain overrun. Cursed to bring death to all she meets, Herla now presides over her grim court, dreaming of vengeance.

710 AD. Orphaned and raised in a monastery on the edge of Dumnonia, eighteen-year-old Cryda spends what she believes to be her last days in study – until the night Ine of Wessex slays the king and lays waste to her home.

Desperate to escape, she flees west. But when Cryda loses her way on the moor, it’s Herla who assists her. Herla realizes that to befriend Cryda is to risk the girl’s soul, and yet she finds herself drawn to the young scholar. Together, Herla and Cryda must walk a knife’s edge between the living and the dead, the faery realm and a war-torn land, in an effort to save a kingdom and ultimately their own souls."

Book Review: The Queen's Fortune by Allison Pataki

 

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Content Warning: death, murder, violence, sexual assault, verbal/emotional abuse, domestic abuse, animal death, animal cruelty.

Désirée Clary is only sixteen when she meets a dashing Coriscan officer. That officer, of course, is none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Against the backdrop of the French Revolution, which has destroyed Désirée's family, she falls head-over-heels for Napoleon, not realizing how deeply he will change the course of her future. They fall in love during a whirlwind courtship, but when Napoleon leaves to chase his ill-fated star, he meets the beautiful, charming Joséphine de Beauharnais, once more changing Désirée's fate. Caught within the exclusive inner circle that surrounds Napoleon and Joséphine, falling in love with another dashing soldier, Désirée finally must become the master of her own universe and carve out her own path.

First allow me to say: Happy New Year to those who are celebrating tonight! A beautiful and rather vulnerable young woman when Napoleon first met her, Désirée has become something of a figure of intrigue amongst those who have studied Napoleon, and for good reason - she was a fascinating person in her own right. I was excited to read this, particularly since I have a great love for Joséphine, and I was intrigued to see how Pataki would handle their relationship.

Pataki's writing is eloquent, sprinkled liberally with pretty descriptions. The first-person narration allows us to see events unfolding through Désirée's eyes, but while it's pleasant enough, I never felt as if Désirée were truly an active participant in all of the goings-on. The first portion of the book focuses mainly on her budding "romance" (if you can call it that) with Napoleon, who she finds not only charismatic, but appealing because of his rebellious attitude. Just as in real life, he's portrayed as a force to be reckoned with, the kind of person who bends the world to their will. I wasn't expecting this book to be so heavy on the romantic aspects of Désirée's life, and I must confess that for me, those elements of the book were actually the least interesting. 

I understand that due to circumstances - and because of her gender - Désirée is somewhat limited in her capacity to change her life for herself, but unfortunately, she came across as boring, guileless (and not in the charming way), and without much determination. She simply allows Napoleon to treat her poorly, and never makes an effort to even attempt to make him understand just how badly he has hurt her (no spoilers, as it's in the summary!). I can't speak for the historical accuracy; I've not read any biographies, and my knowledge of Désirée is not extensive by any means. But from a fictional standpoint, I wish that Pataki would have put a little more pep into Désirée, especially since she took liberties with many other historical facts. 

It isn't a difficult read; it flows smoothly, and I did love the exploration of politics at play here. However, I found that the emphasis on Napoleon and Joséphine was a bit disappointing - Désirée seemed like a bit player in their lives, until the very end of the book. Also, I was anticipating a much more nuanced view of them, but instead Pataki really drove home how villainous Napoleon was, and did Joséphine a bit of a disservice too - seeming to imply that she was catty, calculating, promiscuous (and condemned for it, despite Napoleon's countless affairs and liaisons), and occasionally a bit heartless. Joséphine's relationship with Désirée eventually blossoms into something more, something both touching and beautiful, but it's certainly a rocky road to get there.

Overall, it's a decent read, enjoyable and sometimes filled with exciting melodramas. Just as my rating would suggest, it's a middle-of-the-road book for me: neither fantastic nor horrible. I think if you're looking for a start into Napoleonic historical fiction, it's a good road in, but you definitely shouldn't take everything you read here for the gospel truth! Instead, enjoy it as a somewhat trashy, dramatic romp through the world of France's post-republic elite. 

Book Review: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

 

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Content Warning: violence, murder, death, racism, animal death, abduction, genocide, colonization, 

Elatsoe Bride lives in a world where magic is a daily occurrence. A secret has been passed down for centuries through the women of Ellie's Lipan Apache family: the ability to raise ghosts. Animal ghosts, mostly, including Kirby, her faithful sidekick who can still play a mean game of fetch as well as protect Ellie from any wishing to do her harm. When Ellie's cousin is murdered -- and everyone acts as if it was nothing but an accident -- she'll stop at nothing to make sure justice is done. But there are many, many people in the small town of Willowbee who are equally determined to make sure that Ellie doesn't disrupt their façade of perfection.

It's Ellie's Lipan Apache heritage that really makes this story both unique and engaging; some of my favorite parts involve her sixth-great grandmother, who could also raise animal spirits and was both a heroine and a risk-taker. Ellie is, obviously, very similar in many respects -- daring, sometimes foolhardy, but always brave and willing to defend and help others no matter the cost. Her character is a breath of fresh air, equally as snarky as she is sweet. The dynamics between Ellie and her ghost dog are in many ways the centerpiece of Elatsoe, and it's easy to relate to her love for Kirby. Animals never judge, and have the spectacular quality of perpetually listening to your problems. 

Ellie and her Six-Great (as everyone in her family calls her grandmother) are not the only interesting characters, though. Her mother, Vivian, stood out for me: she's strong and outspoken, like her daughter, with a maternal softness that makes her impossible not to love. She provides a moral guide and common sense to Ellie's life that makes her invaluable to the characters and the story itself. Jay is Ellie's best friend, descended from Oberon (yes, that Oberon), and he's as sweet as a cupcake, although I feel that he might've suffered from a lack of depth. 

Sadly, though, I didn't quite love this book as much as I would've liked. It has many lovely qualities, and as a whole the reading experience was quite fun, but the main mystery was too generic to really leave any impression. I kept anticipating a twist, something that would at the very least surprise us, but it was pretty much a straight shot after only a few chapters. Yes, we don't know exactly what's going on, but none of it felt shocking when it was finally revealed. In my opinion, there are a lot of things that could've been cut to make this story more succinct without sacrificing its emotion or relationships. The execution felt a bit clumsy, and a little too rushed.

One more thing I must add, however, is how much I enjoyed the fact that there is no romance. Ellie identifies as asexual, and while any other novel would've certainly made Ellie's friendship with Jay into something more, it was so refreshing that Little Badger emphasized the love and connection between them without falling into that boring old stereotype which says women and men can't simply be friends. Many reviews complained about the juvenile feeling of Elatsoe, and while I do agree that it could probably easily be read as middle-grade, I do have to wonder if it's the lack of romance that make people feel this way. For me, it was no issue -- tonally, it's actually quite dark! 

Recommended, because it's a young adult book featuring an Indigenous woman protagonist that you'll love! Lots of fun, and I think children (from middle-grade and up) will gobble this up.

Book Review: Girl A by Abigail Dean

 

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Content Warning: violence, murder, child abuse, parental neglect, suicide, drugs, rape, sexual abuse, death (including that of a child), starvation.

Lex Gracie has a new life. It doesn't involve (most of) her siblings, her past, and it especially doesn't involve being executor of her mother's will. She's tried her hardest to leave it all behind, to become more than just Girl A, the child who successfully escaped and got help for her brothers and sisters. Leaving the past behind is harder than she bargained for, though, and forced to get her siblings' signatures in order to turn their former House of Horrors into something better, Lex has to come to terms with what she experienced growing up -- and try to understand her siblings in the process.

First and foremost, I enjoyed the slow unraveling of Lex's past, and I found her tentative reconciliations with her siblings to be both fascinating and also rather sweet. The rather disjointed writing style didn't bother me; for me, it was an example of Lex's own mental state, and her attempts at trying to "forget" or "move on" from her tragic past. The jumping timelines worked well, I thought, in helping us to further understand exactly how hard it is to keep ourselves from falling into memories of childhood traumas.

This book is not a "thriller," or a straightforward "mystery." We know the crime, we know its perpetrators, and we know the victims. This is instead about the aftermath and impact of severe abuse, and how even children who have grown up in the same circumstances and same environment cope with varied methods, and are different despite their shared upbringing. So, if you are picking this up expecting there to be a mystery, you will undoubtedly be disappointed.

However, there were a couple of elements I found both disappointing and lackluster. I'll start with something simple: Dean is an only child, and sometimes it shows. Some of the relationships are very well done nonetheless, but there were some passages that left me thinking, "No one thinks this way about their sibling," or "That doesn't seem realistic at all." The most important issue, though, has to do with something that is a huge spoiler, so I'm afraid I can't discuss it in detail. So, I'll just say: there's a predictable, disappointingly harmful "twist" that definitely knocked a star off for me.

Finally, while I would recommend this book, I think there's one more thing that needs to be addressed. While this book does include various details pulled from many famous true crime cases (including Rosemary and Fred West's "House of Horrors"), it is extremely obvious that the Turpin case is the main "inspiration." Many people questioned the ethics behind this, and speaking truthfully, I do as well. It is fiction, and there's obviously millions of other books that closely follow real life stories, but the Turpin children have already been so exploited, so violated -- not only by their parents, but by the media and outsiders -- that it does feel almost insulting. And I'd argue that it might go beyond mere inspiration, because it is down to the very smallest details (these are only a few examples: the Gracie father is a computer engineer, as was David Turpin; the Gracie children are allowed showers only once a year, and mustn't wash their hands above the wrist, just like the Turpin children). 

If we're going to criticize Dean's book, though, then we must go on and criticize many others. It's a complicated, multilayered issue that I, unfortunately, don't have a good answer for. Victims and survivors should be protected from all forms of exploitation, but if we didn't allow books that were inspired by real life events, we'd probably have none at all. And what about authors of true crime books? Does that same rule then apply to them?

It's an issue that stumps me, and I hope that if any one has any thoughts on it, you'll leave a comment! 

Book Review: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

 

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Content Warning: death, violence, murder, racism, xenophobia, suicide, colonialism.

Mahit Dzmare is from Lsel Station: small, developed for mining, and independent of the imperialistic forces of a multiplanetary Empire. Growing up, though, Mahit has idolized Teixcalann, with all of its literature, art and culture, and apparent sophistication. When she's appointed as Diplomatic Ambassador, meant to replace a predecessor who has suddenly died, it's like a dream come true. Or, perhaps, a nightmare: it seems that the former Ambassador's death was no accident, and that someone might be very, very interested in ensuring that Mahit does not carry on his legacy. Short of time, with precious few allies, Mahit must discover who exactly took his life, and try to stop Teixcalaan from consuming her home planet in its course of colonization. 

Incredibly immersive and beautifully written, this book has been on my to-read list ever since I happened to read a tiny section if its very first page. It immediately captivated me, and left me wondering what was going on in this fascinating sci-fi world that Martine has built. I'm very pleased to say that I wasn't at all disappointed; this is easily one of the most layered and complex novels that you'll probably ever read.

First and foremost I must discuss the worldbuilding, which has such depth to that I couldn't help but imagine Teixcalaan and Lsel station as real places. Each chapter is headed with excerpts of either in-world books, messages between characters, or other pieces of literature that Martine has created for her book. One of the things I really enjoy when reading sci-fi or fantasy is the inclusion of small details, pieces of everyday life: we are allowed a glimpse into what they eat on Teixcalaan, their complicated poetry, some of the intricacies of their language. It also helps that Mahit is not only likable, but extremely relatable -- an outsider, just as we are. 

The discussions of colonialism, xenophobia, racism and how all-reaching Empires consume the lives and cultures they touch were adeptly woven into this fictional world, while also still maintaining their relevancy to the real one. Like any good novel, the politics and issues here were close enough to our own to inspire sympathy and the feeling of being understood, but more palatable (and less depressing) through the veil of science fiction. 

I loved all of the characters, though I'm particularly fond of Mahit herself, as well as her cultural liaison, Three Seagrass, and Nineteen Adze, who could be an ally or an enemy. Their relationships are all intriguing and well-done, though I think the most interesting dynamic is the one between Mahit and Teixcalaan itself. Her admiration (coupled with sometimes repulsion) for it gives us a perfect lens through which to view everything, and I think her slow disenchantment with it all felt authentic and eloquently done. 

All in all, I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone reading this review! It's difficult to put into words how amazingly put together this novel is, and I honestly am not sure that I've done it any justice whatsoever. But please, trust me on this: A Memory Called Empire is devastating in its beauty and terror. And if you're like me, and you love politics in fantasy worlds, this one will definitely be your cup of tea.

Book Review: Inheritance of Secrets by Sonya Bates

 

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Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: death, murder, violence, kidnapping, anti-Semitism, domestic verbal/emotional abuse.

Juliet Dunne is horrified -- and completely confused -- when her grandparents are murdered in their own home. Was it merely a home invasion gone wrong? It's only when Juliet finally gets into contact with her estranged sister Lily that she realizes something else is going on. Claiming she's being stalked, fearful that she will be next, Lily reveals information that suddenly makes Juliet wonder what's really going on. Was the Karl Weiss she knew the same man who grew up in Nazi Germany and was sent to the front at eighteen? Could he have been more deeply involved in the horror of the Nazi regime? And will the secrets he kept then come back to haunt Juliet and Lily?

I never grow tired of reading books set during WWII. Although this book is primarily set in modern-day Adelaide, there are postwar sections, and the main gist of the plot asks what exactly Juliet's beloved grandfather might have been up to when the Reich ruled Germany. I couldn't imagine something better suited to me than a thriller mixed in with historical fiction!

In the beginning, however, I wasn't too sure that I was clicking with the story Bates's was telling. Her writing is not exactly my cup of tea, which probably prevented me from immediately becoming immersed; I found it simplistic, but not in a way that I enjoyed. Once the ball started rolling, though, I was intrigued and actually eager to pick this back up and get to the next chapter. It helps that the history here is so fascinating, and I think we can all relate to the feeling of not truly understanding that our grandparents (and parents) were once young people with their own lives separate from us.

So, why did this end up being four stars for me? Well, mainly because the plot unfolds quickly and with a great deal of intrigue. It was exciting to try and figure out what exactly was going on, and whether Karl was truly the innocent, kind man that his loved ones believed him to be. Now, I do have a few nitpicks here: I was a bit disappointed by the ultimate twist of the story, which could've been handled a bit better and would've benefitted from a bit of tightening up. Also: to avoid spoilers, I won't say much, but I found the culprit to be ridiculously stupid at the end! I also think that there was so much suspense about Karl that the conclusion ended up feeling like a bit of a let down (to be fair, some of these things may be altered before publishing).

That being said, the story itself is tons of fun, and I definitely enjoyed the questions surrounding Karl's life. I must also mention that I feel Bates handled the topics discussed here with the gravity they deserve. The characters could've used a bit more complexity, particularly Karl and Juliet, but I rather loved Lily and Juliet's (former?) best friend, Ellis. 

If you love mysteries and historical fiction, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. It's got enough suspense to keep you on the hook, but there is also a fascinating dynamic between the two sisters here that is by turns sad and heartwarming. This is Bates's debut -- I'll certainly be on the lookout for her future novels!