This is a good volume 1 with a cool, BA heroine (view spoiler)[(slash villain?) (hide spoiler)] and some of the art, especially the issue 3ish stars.
This is a good volume 1 with a cool, BA heroine (view spoiler)[(slash villain?) (hide spoiler)] and some of the art, especially the issue covers and full-page panels, is pretty beautiful.
At first the story seems like your typical epic fantasy, race wars, magic, Chosen One. It ends up a lot stranger and creepier than that, which is a good thing. The heroine/monstress, Maika Halfwolf is super cool and not a typical heroine. Other interesting characters include cute little fox-girl Kippa (I just want to take her home and keep her and pinch her cheeks and love her forever) and various talking cats.
The setting professes to be "1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk" which I think is misleading. The artist, Sana Takeda, definitely incorporates some art-deco inspired elements but I didn't get 1900s Asia or any steampunk. I didn't think the villains were that cool except for the monster-thing. Whatever's going on with that is crazy and disturbing and I love it.
The art is mostly beautiful. Certain characters are especially well-drawn throughout and a lot of the architecture and indoor layouts are really impressive and highly detailed. I feel like the artwork gets a little sloppy as it goes on and impacts the storytelling especially because the plot itself gets confusing at times, but whenever there are large or full-page panels, they're stunning.
Overall a solid first collection worth checking out.
Merged review:
3ish stars.
This is a good volume 1 with a cool, BA heroine (view spoiler)[(slash villain?) (hide spoiler)] and some of the art, especially the issue covers and full-page panels, is pretty beautiful.
At first the story seems like your typical epic fantasy, race wars, magic, Chosen One. It ends up a lot stranger and creepier than that, which is a good thing. The heroine/monstress, Maika Halfwolf is super cool and not a typical heroine. Other interesting characters include cute little fox-girl Kippa (I just want to take her home and keep her and pinch her cheeks and love her forever) and various talking cats.
The setting professes to be "1900’s Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steampunk" which I think is misleading. The artist, Sana Takeda, definitely incorporates some art-deco inspired elements but I didn't get 1900s Asia or any steampunk. I didn't think the villains were that cool except for the monster-thing. Whatever's going on with that is crazy and disturbing and I love it.
The art is mostly beautiful. Certain characters are especially well-drawn throughout and a lot of the architecture and indoor layouts are really impressive and highly detailed. I feel like the artwork gets a little sloppy as it goes on and impacts the storytelling especially because the plot itself gets confusing at times, but whenever there are large or full-page panels, they're stunning.
Overall a solid first collection worth checking out....more
This could so easily have strayed into sickeningly sweet Mitch Albom territory. It could have been written in faux-philosophical, metaph3.75ish stars.
This could so easily have strayed into sickeningly sweet Mitch Albom territory. It could have been written in faux-philosophical, metaphorical, teenage-emo poetry, and it comes close. Fortunately it ends up being touching and wise and inspiring without being nauseating.
Paul Kalanithi is the kind of guy you can't help but resent because he's such a good person. He's brilliant, altruistic, but not so perfect it's too good to be true. And apparently he's a naturally talented writer. I don't mean to be insensitive, and of course I don't envy what he and his family went through, but wow. I wish I could be so inspiring!
This addresses mortality, faith, family, medicine. It's heartbreaking but ultimately not depressing. It's not my favorite book ever, but it's a good reminder to live a life worth living and it's deserving of its Pulitzer nomination.
It seems like half of the reviews for this book begin with some version of "what a weird book," a sentiment that I absolutely echo. So str4ish stars.
It seems like half of the reviews for this book begin with some version of "what a weird book," a sentiment that I absolutely echo. So strange. It doesn't have quite the power and completeness of The Handmaid's Tale, to which there are obvious thematic similarities, but what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in humor and heart (and, of course, "spiciness"). Take the first line, "I lift my skirt, pull aside the waistband of my underwear, and push my index finger in to test the sample." What a beginning, eh?
Obviously inspired by other classic works, particularly The Time Machine, this novel is a decidedly Finnish take on dystopia, which apparently means that it's really weird. It's an interesting format, partly epistolary, with definitions and snippets of societal terms and examples. Some chapters feature letters written by the main character to her sister and the letters bring much of the novel's heart. When the letters stop halfway through, something seems to be missing and the pace dips a bit until an exciting finale.
Again, it isn't fleshed out quite as much at Atwood's modern classic and the characterizations are not quite comprehensive enough to elicit a significant amount of sympathy, but it's interesting - unique, even as it walks in the footsteps of greater novels. It's worth a read. Lola Rogers, who translated the book from Finnish to English deserves a lot of praise for her work here as well.
Mature, grown-up, historical epic fantasy-ish. If you're into that. I was in the middle of a reading slump when I read this, so my ratin2.25ish stars.
Mature, grown-up, historical epic fantasy-ish. If you're into that. I was in the middle of a reading slump when I read this, so my rating may reflect that, in part. I needed a popcorn read and this is far from that. I should give it another chance when I have the patience to savor and appreciate it. Honestly, I thought it was beautifully written, very classy, detailed, well researched, and sensitive as well as never-ending and extraordinarily boring. Feel free to disregard my rating/review, it's more a personal reflection of a specific period in my reading timeline....more
I liked this way more than I expected to. I'm typically not into political sci-fi especially when it's idea-heavy versus character-driven l4ish stars.
I liked this way more than I expected to. I'm typically not into political sci-fi especially when it's idea-heavy versus character-driven like this is. The ideas are just so intelligent and relevant and interesting that it worked for me.
To be honest, I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to last. The first part of the novel is all politics and info-dump. We see the world through the eyes of a few different characters but they seem to be there only incidentally because we don't really learn or care anything about them for the first bit. Eventually Older fleshes them out a bit, especially Mishima and Ken, and they become pretty cool (for the normal people they are) but characterization never becomes a huge part of the book. The characters mostly react to the plot instead of driving it, which works for the story.
Even though the second half becomes much more engaging, it never reaches "political thriller" status. Political, yes. Thriller? There are a couple briefs moments that are thrilling but they're over quickly. Still, this is a novel about number-crunchers, campaigners, nerds and interns and Older squeezes every ounce of coolness possible out of a boring premise so that it ends up becoming legitimately engaging.
The near-future utopia/dystopia (there's a fine line isn't there?) conceived here is impressive in its feasibility. It shares themes with a lot of other dystopia/near future novels but they're so fully realized in this novel that it sets itself apart. It's never really explained how the world has become what it has but Older manages to make it seem like a natural continuation of the current political trajectory.
Your mileage may vary, but I'm glad I stuck this one out.
This is a solid book. If not mind-blowing or epic, it's written well, it's paced well, and the mystery is well-crafted. On the basis of tho4ish stars.
This is a solid book. If not mind-blowing or epic, it's written well, it's paced well, and the mystery is well-crafted. On the basis of those characteristics alone, it couldn't not be a good book. What sets it apart is a great main character and a unique premise.
It's historical fantasy / murder mystery / paranormal ghost story / romance and it works to some degree in just about every one of those areas. It's a tough balance but MRK takes it on with aplomb. It has the classiness of a WWI love story, the tension of a suspense novel, and incorporates the fantasy elements without seeming cheesy or forced.
This is all without mentioning Ginger, the appropriately ginger heroine of the story. She has pluck and savvy, not to mention the supernatural ability to communicate with ghosts. She is entertaining, authentic, and no-nonsense. I went in a little skeptical, and this book isn’t exactly a fantasy masterpiece, but I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this.
Gruesome and disturbing. Which is the point, we're meant to feel disgusted and uncomfortable. A lot of the content seems like it's specific2ish stars.
Gruesome and disturbing. Which is the point, we're meant to feel disgusted and uncomfortable. A lot of the content seems like it's specifically targeted to that, regardless of whether it's good or relevant storytelling.
Speaking of the story, for the first several issues I was really confused and didn't care much about what was going on. I don't know if it was meant to be confusing to build tension and create mystery or if it was just poor storytelling. The fact that I can't tell is not a good sign. However, by the end of the final issue in the volume, I was surprised how much I wanted to know what happens next! It ends up being legitimately interesting as well as disturbing and it's a shame it doesn't start out that way.
The art by David-Hunt is clean and well drawn. It's hard to know how much of the confusion comes from his layouts and how much of it is poor plotting. The characters themselves look great, though. Did anyone else notice the jarring shift in colorists around the third issue, though? Issue #1 had David-Hunt coloring his own art - here's a panel showing Killian (and showcasing some of the... adult content):
[image]
And here she is after Quinton Winter was brought aboard as colorist a couple issues in:
[image]
Not saying I prefer one over the other, it just caught me off guard and took me a minute to realize it was the same character. Anyway Jenny Frison's cover art for each of the issues is gorgeous. Undecided whether I'm going to continue, I kind of want to know what happens next......more
Just as cute as the first book but with its own emotional depth, this goes further into exploring some interesting themes giving it a great4ish stars.
Just as cute as the first book but with its own emotional depth, this goes further into exploring some interesting themes giving it a greater, more focused sense of purpose than TLWTASAP (whoa that's an intense acronym). Even more so than the first book, there's not much excitement. There are no villains. It's the opposite of a nail-biter. It's more of a coming-of-age novel with a few existential crises thrown in.
It's cute in the same way a lullaby is cute. It's not saccharine, gag-inducing sweetness. It's comforting, reassuring. It's all going to be okay because there are good people in the world and good things can happen sometimes. Some great character work makes up for the fact that we don't ever see our favorites from the Wayfarer crew. The heavier philosophical questions make up for the much smaller scope.
Though at first glance it doesn't seem to push any boundaries or tread particularly new ground, I think in some ways it actually expands the scope of what it means to be 'science fiction.' Obviously there are aliens, and it's the future and it takes place in space, but all of that is mostly happenstance, tangential. It explores culture and humanity the same way the best social sci-fi novels do, but without seeming like it's trying to make a statement. It utilizes inclusion and gives voices to atypical characters without making a particular point to do so. When it comes down to it, honestly not much actually happens! It just is. It just floats along and asks a question we all kind of wonder about and tells a story in the process just as naturally as our lives tell a story. It's about who we are and where we come from, about what we do next and what the future will hold, and isn't that okay? Does it need to be exciting or satirical to be 21st century sci-fi? Trippy or challenging? Does it have to be new to be progressive? This makes a great case that the answer is no, which sort of makes it new in the process. :)
Maybe I just don't have the requisite background knowledge to enjoy this but I found it boring and confusing, and the art didn't help.Maybe I just don't have the requisite background knowledge to enjoy this but I found it boring and confusing, and the art didn't help....more
A fun and funny but unspectacular space opera elevated by a clever narrating voice(s) and unique set-up.
It could just be that I'm burned2.5ish stars.
A fun and funny but unspectacular space opera elevated by a clever narrating voice(s) and unique set-up.
It could just be that I'm burned out on space opera right now but I just didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping to. I expected it to be hysterically comical, but even with the geeky pop culture allusions and the endless wit of the great and powerful bobs, I never made it past a good chortle. Alright, except for anytime GUPPI said anything. Love that guy. "By your command!"
It was good and well-written but didn't have a singular story line to get invested in or excited about throughout the novel. I thought it was pretty standard fare with some cool ideas thrown in. Without the bobs it would have been a little dull and even with them it wasn't remarkable.
Ray Porter does a pretty awesome job on audio. I love the subtleties between each of the bobs, he does a great job with all of the accents. And again. GUPPI. Fantastic. If you're interested in the book, definitely look into the audiobook.
A cool first volume, not at all what I expected, but in a good way. The plot is honestly kind of wacky. Weird dinosaurs and time/space trav4ish stars.
A cool first volume, not at all what I expected, but in a good way. The plot is honestly kind of wacky. Weird dinosaurs and time/space travelers, maybe? I honestly didn't know what was going on like 60% of the time, but strangely it didn't bug me... There's a Stranger Things vibe with the 80s setting and the kid protagonists.
The Paper Girls themselves are awfully mature for their what- 12ish years? I had a hard time buying their ages. Maybe I'm just out of touch with the young 'uns these days. I did like all of them, though, especially Erin, and I like each of their artistic representations. I feel like, characteristically, they'll grow and deepen as the series continues.
I really like Chiang's art. It isn't mind-blowingly gorgeous or incredibly detailed and it's unfair to compare it to that of Fiona Staples who does the art for Vaughan's other incredibly popular series, Saga. But it does a great job telling the story. It's consistent throughout which, despite what one might think, is pretty rare in most graphic novels. I never became confused by the art and for that, I think it's great. Matt Wilson, the colorist, does a spectacular job, particularly with gradiating the colors of the sky. He has a great sense of lighting and I love the color palette.
Allow me to compare this novel to a horse. It's large, majestic, impressive, stately. Many times, however, it more closely resembles a Cly3ish stars.
Allow me to compare this novel to a horse. It's large, majestic, impressive, stately. Many times, however, it more closely resembles a Clydesdale than the Forge's racing thoroughbreds- powerful but less sleek than clunky and plodding. I had this rated as high as a 4 at some points and as low as a 2 at others, which speaks to its inconsistency, mostly in pace. There were times I was so engaged and impressed with Morgan's writing skill, while other times I felt like I was slogging through a river of peanut butter.
Her talent is evident throughout- she somehow turns the startup horse-breeding farm of a single family into a monumental Greek tragedy. She makes what on paper is a slight story about a sport I don't really care about into an epic as expansive as America itself. She also confidently, boldly gives unique, believable voices to each of her diverse characters and makes each of them fascinating, even many of the secondary characters. The three main characters, Henry, Henrietta, and Allmon are all sufficiently studied on their own before they crash into each other, but I was disappointed to find that once they all came together I liked them better in isolation.
One criticism I can make of Morgan is that she comes dangerously close to over-writing. The pages are wrought with symbolism and soliloquy and it tends to escape her grasp. Regardless, this is only her second novel and I can appreciate that it deserves its Pulitzer nomination even if I didn't love it completely.
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