I liked Baker Thief a lot more than I expected - I struggled to get into it for the first 25%, and I was then surprised by how much I liked 3.5 stars.
I liked Baker Thief a lot more than I expected - I struggled to get into it for the first 25%, and I was then surprised by how much I liked the rest.
The beginning wasn't my favorite. Not only it was slow, which can happen and usually doesn't bother me, I also really didn't like the writing. It didn't flow well, at least at first, and it employed a lot of telling instead of showing, which isn't my favorite style: it keeps me at arm's length from the characters. I don't know what happened later - if the writing got better or if I just got used to it - but in the second half I didn't have any problems with it.
The worldbuilding was really interesting, and I would love to know more about it. Baker Thief is set in what I think is a Canada-inspired fantasy city, and the main characters' language is French. There were a lot of French words, and as someone whose first language is not English, I always love when writers incorporate other languages into the story in a way that isn't awkward (monolingual English writers are usually really bad at it). Also, so many plot-relevant croissant puns, I loved them. Baker Thief is set in a queer-normative society, has a mostly queer (if not all-queer) cast, and it's trans-, ace- and aro-inclusive, which is rare (so many queer books have no trans, aro and ace characters in the main cast, which... wasted potential). Also, there are characters who casually switch pronouns, use neopronouns or singular they, which is really nice to see.
But let's talk about the reason I read this book in the first place, which is the allosexual aromantic representation (the one thing I always look for in books and only found one other time). The main characters of this book are Claire/Claude, a genderfluid aromantic baker who is a thief by night, and Ad¨¨le, a demisexual woman who is a police officer. Ad¨¨le has a crush on Claude-the-baker and is trying to catch Claire-the-thief, which would be the perfect set up for a hate-to-love romance - except this isn't going to be a romance. Baker Thiefreframes common romance tropes for aromantic characters and non-romantic relationships. It shows how non-romantic bonds and non-romantic love can be just as compelling if one takes the time to develop them. There's a focus on family and siblings as well, but what makes this book is Ad¨¨le's and Claire's story - it's exactly the kind of trope subversion I was here for. I liked how their relationship was developed and I liked them as characters, just as I really liked the portrayal of aromanticism in this story. The part in which Claire mentions how it felt to be in a romantic relationship when you do not feel romantic love, how it almost feels like a lie, like everyone is feeling in a way you never will? Never saw it in a book before.
While I did end up liking the protagonists after the beginning, the characterization of everyone else was lacking, and the main source of conflict - witch discrimination and literal witch hunts - wasn't always that interesting. (The cats, however, were great. I ask for more cat scenes.) But I have to say that this is not exactly my kind of fantasy either, I always prefer morally gray/dark stories to lighter fantasy. If you're looking for a mostly light fantasy read with no romance and great queer rep, Baker Thief is perfect for you.
Merged review:
3.5 stars.
I liked Baker Thief a lot more than I expected - I struggled to get into it for the first 25%, and I was then surprised by how much I liked the rest.
The beginning wasn't my favorite. Not only it was slow, which can happen and usually doesn't bother me, I also really didn't like the writing. It didn't flow well, at least at first, and it employed a lot of telling instead of showing, which isn't my favorite style: it keeps me at arm's length from the characters. I don't know what happened later - if the writing got better or if I just got used to it - but in the second half I didn't have any problems with it.
The worldbuilding was really interesting, and I would love to know more about it. Baker Thief is set in what I think is a Canada-inspired fantasy city, and the main characters' language is French. There were a lot of French words, and as someone whose first language is not English, I always love when writers incorporate other languages into the story in a way that isn't awkward (monolingual English writers are usually really bad at it). Also, so many plot-relevant croissant puns, I loved them. Baker Thief is set in a queer-normative society, has a mostly queer (if not all-queer) cast, and it's trans-, ace- and aro-inclusive, which is rare (so many queer books have no trans, aro and ace characters in the main cast, which... wasted potential). Also, there are characters who casually switch pronouns, use neopronouns or singular they, which is really nice to see.
But let's talk about the reason I read this book in the first place, which is the allosexual aromantic representation (the one thing I always look for in books and only found one other time). The main characters of this book are Claire/Claude, a genderfluid aromantic baker who is a thief by night, and Ad¨¨le, a demisexual woman who is a police officer. Ad¨¨le has a crush on Claude-the-baker and is trying to catch Claire-the-thief, which would be the perfect set up for a hate-to-love romance - except this isn't going to be a romance. Baker Thiefreframes common romance tropes for aromantic characters and non-romantic relationships. It shows how non-romantic bonds and non-romantic love can be just as compelling if one takes the time to develop them. There's a focus on family and siblings as well, but what makes this book is Ad¨¨le's and Claire's story - it's exactly the kind of trope subversion I was here for. I liked how their relationship was developed and I liked them as characters, just as I really liked the portrayal of aromanticism in this story. The part in which Claire mentions how it felt to be in a romantic relationship when you do not feel romantic love, how it almost feels like a lie, like everyone is feeling in a way you never will? Never saw it in a book before.
While I did end up liking the protagonists after the beginning, the characterization of everyone else was lacking, and the main source of conflict - witch discrimination and literal witch hunts - wasn't always that interesting. (The cats, however, were great. I ask for more cat scenes.) But I have to say that this is not exactly my kind of fantasy either, I always prefer morally gray/dark stories to lighter fantasy. If you're looking for a mostly light fantasy read with no romance and great queer rep, Baker Thief is perfect for you....more
To use a weapon of mass destruction, the president has to kill a child. The story follows the child who is chosen for that role, Nyma, and it's about cTo use a weapon of mass destruction, the president has to kill a child. The story follows the child who is chosen for that role, Nyma, and it's about costs, the necessity of making something unimaginably difficult vs the overwhelming pressure that wars can put on a country, and as a story it doesn't give you a clear answer about which path to be taken is worse. It has some beautiful poetry in it as well, and everything is mostly there to make you doubt. The worldbuilding is very vague and handwav-y (let's just say that calling something "the Order" won't help me take it seriously), but for the most part that wasn't a problem. It didn't need to give that much detail, and sometimes that's also a good thing, because I often see authors making the opposite mistake.
Merged review:
To use a weapon of mass destruction, the president has to kill a child. The story follows the child who is chosen for that role, Nyma, and it's about costs, the necessity of making something unimaginably difficult vs the overwhelming pressure that wars can put on a country, and as a story it doesn't give you a clear answer about which path to be taken is worse. It has some beautiful poetry in it as well, and everything is mostly there to make you doubt. The worldbuilding is very vague and handwav-y (let's just say that calling something "the Order" won't help me take it seriously), but for the most part that wasn't a problem. It didn't need to give that much detail, and sometimes that's also a good thing, because I often see authors making the opposite mistake....more
I've recently read The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by this author and I didn't like it as much as I hoped (still a solid novella, though), but I loveI've recently read The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by this author and I didn't like it as much as I hoped (still a solid novella, though), but I loved this. Into the Gray is the story of Laria, trans woman in a medieval-like fantasy village who brings terrible men to the Lady of the Waking Waters - the immortal, man-eating mermaid who is Laria's lover. Also, Laria would want to become a mermaid, but magic like that always has a price. There are witches, mermaids and magic, the writing is lovely, and you can't not love that premise.
Merged review:
I've recently read The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by this author and I didn't like it as much as I hoped (still a solid novella, though), but I loved this. Into the Gray is the story of Laria, trans woman in a medieval-like fantasy village who brings terrible men to the Lady of the Waking Waters - the immortal, man-eating mermaid who is Laria's lover. Also, Laria would want to become a mermaid, but magic like that always has a price. There are witches, mermaids and magic, the writing is lovely, and you can't not love that premise....more
A bittersweet sapphic story involving magical beekepers that has an atmosphere of inevitability to it, the cost of it all looming in the distance untiA bittersweet sapphic story involving magical beekepers that has an atmosphere of inevitability to it, the cost of it all looming in the distance until the end. It only makes sense that tarot reading is featured in it - so much of this story in some way involves fate - and that its title names three saints closely associated with bees. Bees as a legacy that keeps drawing you in. There's something mysterious about it, too, because the story doesn't tell you anything more than what you need to understand it; it doesn't have one word out of place.
Merged review:
A bittersweet sapphic story involving magical beekepers that has an atmosphere of inevitability to it, the cost of it all looming in the distance until the end. It only makes sense that tarot reading is featured in it - so much of this story in some way involves fate - and that its title names three saints closely associated with bees. Bees as a legacy that keeps drawing you in. There's something mysterious about it, too, because the story doesn't tell you anything more than what you need to understand it; it doesn't have one word out of place....more
We don¡¯t get many stories about elderly queer characters, much less in space! This is about an old sapphic woman on an arid planet in which water is tWe don¡¯t get many stories about elderly queer characters, much less in space! This is about an old sapphic woman on an arid planet in which water is the most important thing and going outside the colony is dangerous. About the importance of intergenerational friendships and the risks that make life worth living. It hits in a very specific way when read while on lockdown after a particularly arid spring, but I don't know if it will stay with me.
Merged review:
We don¡¯t get many stories about elderly queer characters, much less in space! This is about an old sapphic woman on an arid planet in which water is the most important thing and going outside the colony is dangerous. About the importance of intergenerational friendships and the risks that make life worth living. It hits in a very specific way when read while on lockdown after a particularly arid spring, but I don't know if it will stay with me....more
I feel like for me it's more difficult to find new favorite short stories than it is to find new favorite novelsI've found a new favorite short story.
I feel like for me it's more difficult to find new favorite short stories than it is to find new favorite novels. Novels will stay with me more easily, but a story? Even if I like the author's writing - and I already knew I liked JY Yang's, because of the Tensorate and Waiting on a Bright Moon - not every story will hit me the right way. I won't get all of them.
This was raw and at times messed up and ugly and I understood it in ways I didn't expect. It's about a woman who was once a circus girl, and the ghost boy who haunted her during the worst year of her life, who helped her through a difficult time when she was a teen. It gets that feeling I can't put into words - when something from your past, especially early adolescence, comes back to haunt you, and you want to claim it as yours and really don't want to at the same time. It's your history but you also wish you had left it behind while wishing it would come back. A part of you and your history that is more you than everything but you're also ashamed of it.
It's also beautifully written and vaguely witch-y in the best way, and the atmosphere has that kind of rotten ruin charm that I love, especially in stories that have vague tones of aquatic horror.
Anyway: this is for those who like knife-throwing haunted girls, lost ghost boys who fight against their nature, helpful witches with the best aesthetics, and mysterious hunters with an obsession. I loved it so much.
Trigger warning for death of gay characters. I usually would have a problem with this - the main characters' sexuality isn't stated (I think - or maybe I missed it) and you could assume everyone but [dead guy] is straight, but honestly: I don't want to police what openly queer authors who usually write all-queer casts do with their stories and I assumed everyone to be queer anyway, but I recognize it could bother someone.
Merged review:
I've found a new favorite short story.
I feel like for me it's more difficult to find new favorite short stories than it is to find new favorite novels. Novels will stay with me more easily, but a story? Even if I like the author's writing - and I already knew I liked JY Yang's, because of the Tensorate and Waiting on a Bright Moon - not every story will hit me the right way. I won't get all of them.
This was raw and at times messed up and ugly and I understood it in ways I didn't expect. It's about a woman who was once a circus girl, and the ghost boy who haunted her during the worst year of her life, who helped her through a difficult time when she was a teen. It gets that feeling I can't put into words - when something from your past, especially early adolescence, comes back to haunt you, and you want to claim it as yours and really don't want to at the same time. It's your history but you also wish you had left it behind while wishing it would come back. A part of you and your history that is more you than everything but you're also ashamed of it.
It's also beautifully written and vaguely witch-y in the best way, and the atmosphere has that kind of rotten ruin charm that I love, especially in stories that have vague tones of aquatic horror.
Anyway: this is for those who like knife-throwing haunted girls, lost ghost boys who fight against their nature, helpful witches with the best aesthetics, and mysterious hunters with an obsession. I loved it so much.
Trigger warning for death of gay characters. I usually would have a problem with this - the main characters' sexuality isn't stated (I think - or maybe I missed it) and you could assume everyone but [dead guy] is straight, but honestly: I don't want to police what openly queer authors who usually write all-queer casts do with their stories and I assumed everyone to be queer anyway, but I recognize it could bother someone....more
F/F manhua about two high school girls in Beijing. Cute and not afraid of being silly, which makes it a fun and engaging read despite it not having a F/F manhua about two high school girls in Beijing. Cute and not afraid of being silly, which makes it a fun and engaging read despite it not having a very well-defined plot. It's not completed yet, but because of the slice-of-life nature it doesn't feel like a story cut in half either.
Merged review:
F/F manhua about two high school girls in Beijing. Cute and not afraid of being silly, which makes it a fun and engaging read despite it not having a very well-defined plot. It's not completed yet, but because of the slice-of-life nature it doesn't feel like a story cut in half either.
Merged review:
F/F manhua about two high school girls in Beijing. Cute and not afraid of being silly, which makes it a fun and engaging read despite it not having a very well-defined plot. It's not completed yet, but because of the slice-of-life nature it doesn't feel like a story cut in half either....more
I loved this. I loved it in a way that I didn't think I could ever love a graphic novel. The problems I had with it during the first read - 4.5 stars.
I loved this. I loved it in a way that I didn't think I could ever love a graphic novel. The problems I had with it during the first read - mainly, the fact that there was a lot of graphic violence and horror aspects I didn't expect - weren't problems during this reread, because I knew what I was getting into.
And the art. It's so beautiful, I could stare at the pages for hours, so beautiful it almost distracts from the story with its intricate, fascinating details, but let's be real, the illustration are the main reason I'm reading this in the first place. The backgrounds are themselves almost like characters.
Many people mention being confused by the worldbuilding and plot of Monstress. I understand why - there's a lot of information to take in - but it wasn't a problem for me in this reread, and as I always say, I'd rather be a little confused by the world at first than be bored by it later. It's difficult to follow because it's set in a complex world with history and plot-relevant mythology of its own (parts of it are inspired by Japanese mythology, but that's not the only influence here), and I loved all of it. I mean, how could I not love a gay steampunk matriarchy?
The whole plotline about magic animal-like people fighting magical humans told from the point of view of a human-looking girl who is actually not that human but very magical reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I really appreciated. I also really like the theme of fighting your own monster in a monstrous world, and I think this story has a lot of potential.
___________________________________ Old review, written in August 2017
3.5 stars This was beautiful, but I didn't love it. It's not this book, it's me. The art was great! The translation, not so much (yes, I read the Italian version, and the dialogue wasn't as good as it could have been). The worldbuilding was well-done.
I really don't like seeing people who are dying/injured (even if it's a drawing). Reading about that doesn't affect me, but this... there was a fight scene every two pages, blood everywhere. If this doesn't bother you, you'll probably love Monstress. It's about matriarchal societies, war and ancient monsters. Sometimes it reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and in a good way.
The ending surprised me. I don't know if I'll continue - it depends on whether the sequel gets translated.
Edit during the reread for book #4: every time I reread this book, I love it a little more, as I finally catch most of what's going on. This series is amazing.
Merged review:
4.5 stars.
I loved this. I loved it in a way that I didn't think I could ever love a graphic novel. The problems I had with it during the first read - mainly, the fact that there was a lot of graphic violence and horror aspects I didn't expect - weren't problems during this reread, because I knew what I was getting into.
And the art. It's so beautiful, I could stare at the pages for hours, so beautiful it almost distracts from the story with its intricate, fascinating details, but let's be real, the illustration are the main reason I'm reading this in the first place. The backgrounds are themselves almost like characters.
Many people mention being confused by the worldbuilding and plot of Monstress. I understand why - there's a lot of information to take in - but it wasn't a problem for me in this reread, and as I always say, I'd rather be a little confused by the world at first than be bored by it later. It's difficult to follow because it's set in a complex world with history and plot-relevant mythology of its own (parts of it are inspired by Japanese mythology, but that's not the only influence here), and I loved all of it. I mean, how could I not love a gay steampunk matriarchy?
The whole plotline about magic animal-like people fighting magical humans told from the point of view of a human-looking girl who is actually not that human but very magical reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I really appreciated. I also really like the theme of fighting your own monster in a monstrous world, and I think this story has a lot of potential.
___________________________________ Old review, written in August 2017
3.5 stars This was beautiful, but I didn't love it. It's not this book, it's me. The art was great! The translation, not so much (yes, I read the Italian version, and the dialogue wasn't as good as it could have been). The worldbuilding was well-done.
I really don't like seeing people who are dying/injured (even if it's a drawing). Reading about that doesn't affect me, but this... there was a fight scene every two pages, blood everywhere. If this doesn't bother you, you'll probably love Monstress. It's about matriarchal societies, war and ancient monsters. Sometimes it reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and in a good way.
The ending surprised me. I don't know if I'll continue - it depends on whether the sequel gets translated.
Edit during the reread for book #4: every time I reread this book, I love it a little more, as I finally catch most of what's going on. This series is amazing....more
I loved this. I loved it in a way that I didn't think I could ever love a graphic novel. The problems I had with it during the first read - 4.5 stars.
I loved this. I loved it in a way that I didn't think I could ever love a graphic novel. The problems I had with it during the first read - mainly, the fact that there was a lot of graphic violence and horror aspects I didn't expect - weren't problems during this reread, because I knew what I was getting into.
And the art. It's so beautiful, I could stare at the pages for hours, so beautiful it almost distracts from the story with its intricate, fascinating details, but let's be real, the illustration are the main reason I'm reading this in the first place. The backgrounds are themselves almost like characters.
Many people mention being confused by the worldbuilding and plot of Monstress. I understand why - there's a lot of information to take in - but it wasn't a problem for me in this reread, and as I always say, I'd rather be a little confused by the world at first than be bored by it later. It's difficult to follow because it's set in a complex world with history and plot-relevant mythology of its own (parts of it are inspired by Japanese mythology, but that's not the only influence here), and I loved all of it. I mean, how could I not love a gay steampunk matriarchy?
The whole plotline about magic animal-like people fighting magical humans told from the point of view of a human-looking girl who is actually not that human but very magical reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which I really appreciated. I also really like the theme of fighting your own monster in a monstrous world, and I think this story has a lot of potential.
___________________________________ Old review, written in August 2017
3.5 stars This was beautiful, but I didn't love it. It's not this book, it's me. The art was great! The translation, not so much (yes, I read the Italian version, and the dialogue wasn't as good as it could have been). The worldbuilding was well-done.
I really don't like seeing people who are dying/injured (even if it's a drawing). Reading about that doesn't affect me, but this... there was a fight scene every two pages, blood everywhere. If this doesn't bother you, you'll probably love Monstress. It's about matriarchal societies, war and ancient monsters. Sometimes it reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and in a good way.
The ending surprised me. I don't know if I'll continue - it depends on whether the sequel gets translated.
Edit during the reread for book #4: every time I reread this book, I love it a little more, as I finally catch most of what's going on. This series is amazing....more
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