Ashley's Updates

Ashley is 6% done with Eat the Ones You Love

Thu, 01 May 2025 14:07:50 -0700

Ashley is 6% done with Eat the Ones You Love.
Ashley wrote: bitchy judgmental plant POV is not something i knew i needed

Ashley is starting Eat the Ones You Love

Thu, 01 May 2025 13:36:25 -0700

Ashley is starting Eat the Ones You Love.
Ashley wrote: I'm not sure I'm in the mood for this rn but I'll give it a try, and switch to my silly horse fantasy book if I'm not ready yet.

Ashley started reading 'Eat the Ones You Love'

Thu, 01 May 2025 13:15:17 -0700

Ashley started reading Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin

Ashley liked a review

Thu, 01 May 2025 09:10:41 -0700

Ashley liked Lindsay's review of The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1):

"Wtf just happened"

Ashley added 'Psychopomp'

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 21:14:18 -0700

Ashley gave 4 stars to Psychopomp (Paperback) by Maria Dong
bookshelves: arcs-and-giveaways
full review soon bc ARC

Ashley added 'When the Wolf Comes Home'

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 21:12:59 -0700

Ashley gave 5 stars to When the Wolf Comes Home (Paperback) by Nat Cassidy
bookshelves: audiobooks, arcs-and-giveaways
this man writes books for me, can he even miss

full review later bc ARC

Ashley liked a userstatus

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:01:06 -0700

Ashley liked Alison's status update

Alison is 4% done with 10 Things That Never Happened: Well I’m 12 pages in and have already laughed out loud like 5 times

Ashley wants to read 'Untitled'

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:43:06 -0700

Ashley wants to read Untitled by Robert Jackson Bennett

Ashley added 'A Drop of Corruption'

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:35:51 -0700

Ashley gave 5 stars to A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
bookshelves: r-fantasy-bingo, anti-colonial-and-anti-imperialist, bloody-and-gross, can-you-hear-the-people-sing, class-gender-race, fantasy, lgbtqia, murder-most-foul, neurodivergent-protagonist, political-plots-and-maneuverings, retellings-and-reimaginings, sherlockian, speculative, urban-fantasy

"Because all the characters in this story—like all of humanity, apparently—have a little blank spot in their heads that says, 'Kings. What a good idea.' The idea is powerful, and seductive, and should not be underestimated. To be a civilization of any worth, however, means acknowledging the idea—and then condemning it as a laughably, madly stupid."
-from the Author's Note, emphasis mine

The mystery elements and worldbuilding of this series continue to be enthralling and fascinating, although I will say, while I didn't have details figured out, I figured out the big whodunnit around the 60% mark. That in no way hindered my enjoyment. Also I was very proud of self.

But what I really liked about this book is the way that it continues to build the moral tension of the story here. We are straightforwardly on Ana and Din's side in book one as they perpetrate justice by solving unsolvable mysteries in the empire they live in (which, granted, is a very fucking weird empire—the emperor isn't even awake most of the time, let alone emperoring). But in this book, while we are still on Ana and Din's side, things are getting more thematically complicated, because belief in the story of a King (or an emperor/empire) is at the heart of nearly every single character's actions. And referencing the Author's Note at the end (which I quoted above), it's pretty clear we are not meant to think that Ana and Din are 100% reliable in this matter. Their eyes are clouded, too; not even genius can overcome the seductive call of turning oneself over to the fantasy of a King. I can't help but think that is going to be very thematically important in the third and final book.

Anyway, the blending of fantasy, mystery, and character elements in this series continues to be absolutely chef's kiss for me, and I can't wait to see where RJB goes from here, and where Ana and Din (and their Empire) end up.

r/Fantasy BINGO 2025: Biopunk (Hard Mode: no electricity)

Ashley liked a userstatus

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:22:38 -0700

Ashley liked Nott's status update

Nott is 70% done with Gideon the Ninth: Gideon is such a himbo, I love her.