I really need to keep on top of these so that I can record my thoughts while the books are still fresh in my mind.
I Who Have Never Known Men – Jacqueline Harpman
From Storygraph: “Deep underground, thirty-nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, these women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only vague recollections of their lives before. As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl – the fortieth prisoner – sits alone and outcast in the corner. But soon she will show herself to be the key to the others’ escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above.’
My Thoughts: Possibly the bleakest book I’ve ever read but in a way still beautiful. I loved the narrator’s curiosity about this world she found herself in. An interesting treatment of what it means to be human and to hold onto that humanity. Recommended by Tobia. Logged for my Belgium read in the REad Around the World Challenge. 4.5 stars.
Throne of the Broken Gods, The Dawn of the Cursed Queen and The Wrath of the Fallen (Gods and Monsters #2, #3 and #4) – Amber Nicole
From Storygraph: The world quakes in fear as the last shred of Dianna’s humanity is ripped from her. As it should. Grief consumes Dianna, burning away any semblance of good within her and threatening the budding relationship between her and Liam. Now, Liam must pull her back from the brink of complete damnation before time runs out …
Desperate to keep Samkiel safe after almost losing him, Dianna is willing to give up everything to protect him, even if that means sacrificing their relationship itself. But that’s not a risk Samkiel is willing to take, even as the stakes grow ever higher …
With the return of Samkiel, the rightful heir, battle lines are beginning to form across the realms. But without the Ring of Oblivion, the ancient darkness living beneath Samkiel’s skin begins to lash out, and as war looms on the horizon, he struggles with his growing power.
Meanwhile, an ancient power plagues Dianna’s dreams with messages of retribution. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Samkiel must embark on a frantic search for answers – a journey that will lead him to the one place he dare not go: the Otherworld.
My Thoughts: I’m going to review these three books together because my comments apply to all three. I still want to know what happens, but once again the writing could have been tightened up considerably. I did like the character progression in this and I’ll probably keep reading because I want to know what happens but I had a few major issues with these. First, once the leads finally got together there were frequent long, explicit and repetitive sex scenes where nothing much happened except sex so I basically just flicked over these 5-6 page sections—that is right, 5-6 page sex scenes that really bought very little to the actual story. Also why can’t anyone stay dead! 3-stars.
The Saint of Bright Doors – Varia Chandrasekera
From Storygraph: “The Saint of Bright Doors sets the high drama of divine revolutionaries and transcendent cults against the mundane disappointments of modern life, resulting in a novel that is revelatory and resonant.
Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy. He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.”
My Thoughts: To be honest this was a bit of a slog. It was interesting, but to borrow a phrase from Engie, I think I’m not smart enough for this. This is a Nebula Award Winner and I logged it for my Sri Lanka read in the Read Around the World Challenge.
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