Friday, December 6, 2024

Review: Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madson

Between Dragons and Their Wrath (Shattered Kingdom Trilogy #1) by Devin Madson
Orbit
Publication Date: August 27th, 2024
Paperback. 480 pages.

About Between Dragons and Their Wrath:

"From Aurealis Award‑nominated author Devin Madson comes a new rip-roaring epic fantasy full of dragons, alchemical magic, and forbidden romance that unfolds as three people in a shattered empire become entangled in a looming revolution. 

When dragons rage, chaos reigns.

Conquest built the Celes Basin, now enemies once more threaten its borders. But when the Lord Reacher declares himself supreme ruler to enforce unity, old angers erupt, threatening to tear the basin apart from within.

Tesha, a glassblower’s apprentice with a talent for poisonwork, becomes a false tribute bride as part of a desperate political plot. In the Reacher’s court, she’s perfectly placed to sabotage him, but her heart has other plans.

Naili is laundress to an eccentric alchemist, a job that has left her with strange new abilities that are slowly consuming her—and attracting the notice of the city’s underground rulers. With time running out, she’ll have to gain power by any means just to survive, let alone change the world.

And in the desolate Shield Mountains, sharp-shooting dragon rider Ashadi protects the basin from the monsters of The Sands beyond, but when an impossible shot pierces his dragon’s glass scales, he becomes the hunted one.

As chaos sweeps across the land, Tesha, Naili, and Ashadi must fight to survive political enemies, long-buried secrets, and monsters both within and without."

Given how much I loved Devin Madson's Reborn Empire series, I expected to enjoy Between Dragons and Their Wrath—yet somehow, it still managed to surprise me in the best way!

The story alternates between three main POVs: Ashadi, a dragon rider who becomes caught up in deeper plots while undertaking his duties; Tesha, a glassblower's apprentice turned undercover insult bride; and Naili, a laundress for a powerful alchemist whose life is suddenly uprooted. I loved following each of them and was particularly delighted by the clever connections woven between their arcs. Madson excels at interweaving threads across her narratives, and this book showcases that strength brilliantly.

While I enjoyed all the perspectives, my favorites were Tesha and Ashadi—both had especially compelling storylines that kept me deeply invested and I found their personalities the easiest to connect with, personally. I will also note that there's a touch of romance in this book, but it's fairly understated and didn't overshadow the main plot at any time. Instead, I actually felt it complemented some of the broader themes without taking center stage.

The pacing felt steady and consistent, which was a breath of fresh air. With a book this and with multiple POVs (all of which were also in first person), it's easy for a story to lose momentum at times, but I really felt as though Between Dragons and Their Wrath avoided that trap. Each chapter is packed with enough intrigue and development to keep you turning the pages, and I never felt lost while transitioning between characters.

Despite the title and cover of this book featuring dragons, I would warn you not to go into this book expecting a lot of dragons, because the dragon content is actually few and far between. Dragons are indeed present in this world, but they are really more of a background element in this book. However, Between Dragons and Their Wrath offers plenty of other reasons to keep reading, such as its heavy political fantasy elements. Much of the plot revolves around politics between different territories and families, imperialistic elements, and the overall delicate balance of power between different territories and cultures.

The world-building is rich and imaginative, and I loved getting a taste of the diverse cultures and regions shaping this story. I found it fascinating to see how how they viewed and interacted with one another, as there were many different sentiments and histories involved with each relationship. The history of this world feels vast and I definitely got the feeling that we've only scratched the surface of it, so I can't wait to see what else there is to learn in future books.

This first book ended on a really strong note-it wasn't a cliffhanger, but it absolutely sets up the sequel perfectly to pick right back up and continue on this journey. I'm especially intrigued by the direction the dragon storyline seems to be heading. It's unexpected, imaginative, and promises to add so much depth and even more layers to this world and its history.

Overall, I've given Between Dragons and Their Wrath 4.5 stars! I am so pleased to be reading books from Devin Madson again and additionally pleased that this was such a great story. This would be a great read for fans of political fantasy, carefully crafted characters, and a multi-layered story. I can't wait to read the sequel!

*I received a copy of Between Dragons and Their Wrath in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Blog Tour: Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo + Excerpt

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo! This is a quiet, compelling story about the experiences of four different women living in a government-run housing complex. Below, you'll find some general information about the book and author, as well an excerpt to give you a taste of what to expect from Apartment Women


ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: APARTMENT WOMEN
Author:  Gu Byeong-mo, transl. Chi-Young Kim
Pub. Date: December 3rd, 2024
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Pages: 
224
Find it: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | HarperCollins | Books-A-Million | Target | Goodreads


SYNOPSIS:
"'From the New York Times Notable author of The Old Woman with the Knife, comes a bracingly original story of family, marriage, the cultural expectations of motherhood, about four women whose lives intersect in dramatic and unexpected ways at a government-run apartment complex outside Seoul

When Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbors, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years.

Yet, from the day she arrives, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents begin to show their true colors. Apartment Women traces the lives of four women in the apartments, all with different aspirations and beliefs. Will they find a way to live peacefully? Or are the cultural expectations around parenthood stacked against them from the start?

 trenchant social novel from an award-winning author, Apartment Women incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labor, challenging the age-old assumption that “it takes a village” to raise a child."



Excerpt:

The recycling truck kicked up pieces of cardboard and dust as it drove off. Soda cans and bottle caps that had fallen off the back tumbled along the ground. Danhui’s hands became sticky as she picked up the trash and put it in the sack.

After she cleaned up the recycling, she broomed the dust into a metal dustpan, dumped it into a trash bag, and headed up to the third floor. She could hear the baby’s cries from the bottom of the stairs.

“Hyonae-ssi, are you there? Hyonae-ssi? Sounds like Darim’s crying?”

She heard rustling as the crying settled, then the front door swung open. Exhausted, her eyes bloodshot, Jo Hyonae came outside holding Darim. She looked as desperate as a trembling drop of water clinging to the faucet. “Yes, what is it?” Hyonae’s voice was hoarse.

“Were you sleeping all this time? You don’t look like you got any rest!” “What’s going on so early in the morning?”

“Oh, Hyonae-ssi! You sent Sangnak-ssi down by himself the other day when we were all meeting the new family, and you haven’t shown your face since. It’s not early, everyone’s gone off to work and it’s already nine! I thought I told you the recycling truck comes at eight on Mondays.”

Hyonae shifted Darim to her other arm and scratched her tousled head. “I had to pull an allnighter again. I’m happy to take it on next time.”

This woman was the complete opposite of the new tenant Euno, who had come out to see if he could help when he heard the truck. Even though his family was still unpacking and settling in, Euno had come anyway and hovered about, asking if there was anything he could do, while Danhui and Gyowon waved him off, declining any assistance. What Danhui did want, although she refrained from asking, was for him to go pound on Hyonae’s door and wake her up. All this time Danhui had nodded and smiled sympathetically when Hyonae claimed to be too worn out from work to offer a hand; though she knew it wasn’t that big of a deal, Danhui had been waiting for a chance to have a serious talk with that self-centered Hyonae to make sure her neighbor knew she couldn’t walk all over her.

“Now you’re making me feel like I’m in the wrong here,” Danhui protested. “I’m not trying to imply that the work is hard. The workers collecting the recyclables are the ones doing the heavy lifting, and all we need to do is gather everything in one place so things don’t go flying around everywhere.”

“Right, that’s why I’m saying I can be the one to handle it next time.”

Danhui wanted to believe that Hyonae wasn’t purposely shirking her duties, but irresponsibility and laziness seemed something of a second nature to Hyonae. Even if Hyonae herself didn’t care, it was exhausting for the rest of them to have to deal with her.

“You know that’s not the issue. Doing communal work together is what makes it meaningful. Like I said before, if someone does it on their own this week and someone else handles it on their own the next week, it gets tricky and the system falls apart. Even if we made a schedule of whose turn it is to do what, there are always going to be times when we can’t follow it. That’s why everyone needs to come out and do this together. We can be flexible when someone has an unavoidable conflict. But if you can’t do the bare minimum, how will we be able to live together in harmony?”

This was when Darim, whose lips had been trembling during Danhui’s speech, burst into tears again, and Hyonae took that opportunity to cut her neighbor off. “Well, I need to nurse her right now.”

Danhui let out a sigh as she glanced over Hyonae’s slender shoulders into her apartment—the rumpled baby blankets, an open bag of sliced bread, toys strewn across the floor, clothes thrown every which way. “Sure. Text me later once Darim’s asleep. I’ll stop by for a second and we can finish talking.”

Danhui headed back downstairs, telling herself she shouldn’t be irritated by Hyonae, who, as always, had merely given a curt nod to put an end to their conversation.

It wasn’t a shock that Hyonae was exhausted—Danhui herself had experienced this fatigue when her two boys were younger, and she wouldn’t have been able to survive those years if the people around her hadn’t been unconditionally accommodating and considerate. You could try your best but not make it out of the apartment on time. Sometimes, no matter how hard you tried to wake up, it felt truly impossible to pry a single eye open, even with a wailing child beside you. Raising children was all about dragging yourself forward. Despite all your maternal love and inner strength, you’d still find yourself marooned from time to time, and you had no choice but to continue on until your last breath.

Those feelings were normal, but she couldn’t help but be annoyed. Whenever childcare obligations kept Danhui from upholding her side of the communal bargain (like the time she missed a general meeting at her boys’ day care center), she would apologize in a manner appropriate to the magnitude of her act. She would personally deliver a handwritten note—I’m sorry I missed the meeting, my son was sick again—with a fruit basket or a cake box. Then she would bow in apology at the next opportunity and work twice as hard whenever a small task came her way. Even if the others were put out before, they would end up doing her a favor when she needed something; they might push her turn back or let her go first.
Long before they moved here, back when Jeongmok was a baby, Jaegang had been away on a business trip and the recycling had piled up for three weeks in the utility room of their tiny twenty-four-pyeong apartment. Of course it did; since the baby’s arrival, they had started buying and using more and more personal hygiene products, and all of them had come packaged in plastic. Recycling days were once a week like at most apartment buildings in Seoul, and the residents were supposed to bring their recyclables out between six in the evening on Thursday and five thirty the following morning when the recycling truck arrived. But Jaegang had come home late after work the first week, then returned drunk off his feet from a work dinner the following week, and then had gone overseas for business the third week.

She had opened the door to the utility room to discover Styrofoam dishes and plastic recyclables piled around the large overflowing polypropylene tote bag in which they carried recycling downstairs; the plastic refuse blocked the path to the washing machine, barring her from entry. If someone were to see the utility room, they would assume she was a hoarder, the kind you saw on the news, or an alcoholic who neglected her child, and she was made miserable by this thought; it felt as though everything she had done earlier in her marriage to live a more environmentally friendly life, which of course had taken attention and effort, had gone down the drain.

Deciding to handle this problem herself instead of waiting for Jaegang to get home, she carefully slipped sleeping Jeongmok in his baby carrier. She should have done this from the get-go, but she had been trying not to expose Jeongmok to the freezing winter wind, which they’d confront on the seven-minute walk down the long corridor to the elevator and out the front doors to the trash and recycling area. Danhui went out with the bag filled with cardboard boxes and plastic. As she made the second trip with the baby on her back—after all, she only had two hands—other residents and the security guard spotted her and rushed over to help. She gratefully accepted their kindness, though she hadn’t brought Jeongmok to evoke sympathy, but rather because of all the tragedies she heard about on the news, stories of a child falling or suffocating to death during the brief moments their mom washed the dishes or ran to the supermarket just across the street. By her third trip, the security guard and the residents who had been breaking down her boxes and stacking them offered to come up to her apartment to help bring the rest down.

She had, of course, bowed in gratitude, and later, once she had her wits about her, she found out which units the kind neighbors lived in and brought gifts of tteok and fruit for them and the security guard. After that, her neighbors were naturally happy to help out. This was just one of the many ways a young mother could pay back the inevitable debt she racked up among her neighbors; you just had to show your gratitude.

But Hyonae didn’t bother doing any of that. It wasn’t that she was incapable; she just didn’t care. As an example, a salesperson hawking red ginseng or health supplements might offer a regular customer a bottle of vitamins for free, and, if that customer had any sense, they would kindly refuse after the first time, appreciating the thought behind the gesture. But Hyonae never even gave out copies of the picture books she illustrated. She claimed to be embarrassed because they weren’t published by a well-known company, and said they were sold as a box set and therefore hard for her to give out only the one she illustrated; still, if she handed out a few books to the neighbors, whose children were all around the same age, she could easily generate some goodwill by showing everyone what kind of work she did and help them understand why she couldn’t fully participate in their day-to-day schedule, but she didn’t put in any effort. Relationships were like joints that creaked without fluid between them, and Danhui’s biggest complaint was that the same people always felt the resulting pain and discomfort. She wasn’t annoyed by the fact that she wasn’t on the receiving end of niceties; she sincerely believed that these small acts were the bare minimum when you lived in an apartment building.

Even if you weren’t a people person, all you had to do was merely say the right things at the right time. Reflecting on her experience raising two kids, Danhui felt that a mother had to constantly say “sorry” and “thank you” even if she had done nothing wrong. All Hyonae had to do was add just one more sentence; just now, after saying, “I had to pull an allnighter again,” she could have easily added, I’m so sorry. Again, it wasn’t that Danhui wanted Hyonae to prostrate herself, it was just that these were the skills— or rather, the basic courtesy—of maintaining relationships. Intellectually she knew she should forgive Hyonae’s disorganized disposition and not judge her based on her line of work, but her lack of social skills was obvious, sitting as she did in her room, working on projects alone.

Two days ago, Sangnak had emphasized that Hyonae had fallen asleep after meeting a deadline, which was why she couldn’t come to the welcome party for the new family. He had even brought Darim to the backyard on his own to allow Hyonae to rest. But here she was, up all night again despite her husband’s support. Was she drawing all the pictures in the world, all by herself? Danhui had gone upstairs merely to tell her that they should try to work more effectively together, and Hyonae had cut her off, saying she’d just handle the recycling by herself the next time. Not only was it incredibly unclear when exactly this next time would be, but this disorganized approach would also render a turn-taking system useless and confusing. Maybe someone might think Hyonae was being ostracized over the trivial issue of recycling…

But it wasn’t trivial.

Trivial things weren’t so trivial when they piled up, not a corn on the sole of a foot or dust heaped on a forgotten shelf. Danhui just wanted Hyonae to understand this.

Excerpted from APARTMENT WOMEN by Gu Byeong-mo. Copyright © 2018 by Gu Byeong-mo. English translation © 2024 by Chi-Young Kim. Published by Hanover Square Press, an imprint of HarperCollins.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
GU BYEONG-MO is an award-winning author. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she now resides in Jinju, South Korea with her family. The Old Woman with the Knife, her first book to be translated into English, was a New York Times Notable Book and an NPR Best Book of the Year.

CHI-YOUNG KIM is an award-winning literary translator and editor who has translated works by You-jeong Jeong, Sun-mi Hwang, Young-ha Kim, Kyung Ran Jo, J.M. Lee, and Kyung-sook Shin, among others.

Author Website | X | Instagram | Goodreads


Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Review: Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
Orbit
Publication Date: October 17th, 2024
Paperback. 416 pages.

About Sorcery and Small Magics:

"Desperate to undo the curse binding them to each other, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them."

Sorcery and Small Magics is a delightful read that immediately draws you in and keeps you entertained throughout. From the first pages, I felt at home in its world and with its protagonist, Leovander Loveage. The premise is a classic and one that I knew would be fun: enemies forced to work together, which of course results in plenty of banter and barbs thrown around at one another. 

There was a certain familiarity to Leo and his class enemy, Sebastian Grimm, that made them feel like old friends I'd read and journeyed with before. I'm not entirely sure if that's a testament to how well-crafted they are or moreso just a reflection of the fact that they were somewhat archetypes of characters I've read, but either way I loved them. The dynamic between Leo and Grimm really drives the story and showcases their sharp wit and individual personalities in a way that felt authentic and intriguing. 

I was really intrigued by the magic system crafted in this world. The system of having scrivers to write spells and casters to cast said spells is an interesting one, and I was especially intrigued by Leo's ability and penchant for crafting spells through song. I found the distinctions between cantrips and Grandmagic, as well as the risks involved for scribers who try to cast, added a lot of depth to the magic system and made it feel much more detailed. Some of the finer points of the magic system are a bit fuzzy for me still, but I'm hopeful that future books will expand on the magic. 

The story does a great job of balancing light-hearted charm with some slightly heavier moments that bear more emotional weight. Both Leo and Grimm had interesting backstories to explore and better understand their motivations and reasons for their choice in education, and I appreciated that the author spent a very adequate amount of time on these without spending too much time on backstory. Leo's backstory in particular brings a bit more heaviness with it and we are able to learn a lot more about him and the guilt that constantly weighs on him due to things that have happened in the past. 

While some parts of Sorcery and Small Magics felt predictable, I didn't really find that predictability to be too much of a drawback. The story played out like a cozy yet exciting adventure with plenty of risk involved, and the twists the author chose to take–and not take–made it feel fresh and highly entertaining. I was impressed also with how well the author mixed in so many of the elements I've mentioned in this review and managed to do so without interrupting the pace at any point and creating a great balance of action, humor, and heart.

The ending was a little bit of a mixed bag for me at times, but overall I really did like it. I appreciated that there was a cost to resolving some of the big climactic issues and monsters that arose as threats, as it made the threat and stakes feel real. However, I also felt some of the ways in which things were resolves felt like they were wrapped up a little too neatly and easily, and there were some things that seemed to be resolved on first try that surprised me. It didn't detract from the story, but it did feel just a touch too easy. Still, I admired how the conclusion avoided rushing into romantic clichés and instead focused on a more organic shift in the relationships between our two characters. It was more enemies to friends, in a way, which I think felt like a more natural progression that didn't make anything too rushed or unrealistic.

Overall, Sorcery and Small Magics is a charming, fun, and heartfelt read with great characters, an interesting magic system, and plenty of adventure and mishaps, and it's one that I would absolutely recommend. I've also discovered since reading this book that it will be a trilogy, which means we will have even more of Leo and Grimm, and I can't wait! I've given Sorcery and Small Magics 4.5 stars.

*I received a copy of Sorcery and Small Magics in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Monday, December 2, 2024

Month in Review: November 2024

So, November has been.. rough, for a variety of reasons that I'm sure we're all aware of. But fortunately some really good things also happening this month, such as my husband and I taking a trip to Japan together! My husband has visited Japan a few times in the past and has always wanted to take me–and I've also been wanting to visit–so we finally got to go and it was such a wonderful experience. We only had a week, so we tried to make the most of our limited time and stayed in Kyoto, with some day trips to Osaka and Nara. It was really an incredible time and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to go.

The downside to traveling (for me, at least) is that it puts me incredible behind on everything else, haha. I am ashamed to say that I only got three reviews up this month (yikes), but I do already have two reviews finished and scheduled for December and with more on the way, so I'll do my best to make up for that. It was a slow blogging month for me in general, but maybe in December I'll (finally?) get back on track. I read nine books this month–a bit less than anticipated–but there were some really great ones in there. Some highlights were A Sorceress Comes to Call, Sorcery and Small Magics, and After the People Lights have Gone Off

How was your November and what books have you been reading?  Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!
   

# books read: 9

After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback

We Do Not Part by Han Kang ★★★.75
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Darkly by Marisha Pessl ★★★★
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher ★★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy ★★★★.75
Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback

The Way by Cary Groner ★★★★
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida ★★★★
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC

The Gate of the Feral Gods (Dungeon Crawler Carl #4) ★★★★
Source: Owned | Format: Audiobook

Beholder by Ryan La Sala ★★★
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook

DNF/To-Be-Finished:
None! (that I can recall...)
 Posts:
Blog Memes:


The Friday Face-Off:
Current Read #33

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Can't-Wait Wednesday: We are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis & Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-Mo, transl. Chi-Young Kim

       

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

We are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis
Publication: December 24th, 2024
Kensington
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Step into this chilling, historical horror inspired by the unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan.

When a series of brutal, mysterious deaths start plaguing the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the quiet French hamlet of Mende, most people believe it’s a curse—God’s punishment for their sins.

But to sixteen-year-old Joséphine and her best friend, Clara, the beast isn’t a curse. It’s an opportunity.

For years, the girls of Mende have been living in a nightmare—fathers who drink, brothers who punch, homes that feel like prisons—and this is a chance to get them out.

Using the creature’s attacks as cover, Joséphine and Clara set out to fake their friends’ deaths and hide them away until it’s safe to run. But escape is harder than they thought. If they can’t brave a harsh winter with little food… If the villagers discover what they’re doing… If the beast finds them first...

Those fake deaths might just become real ones.
"

I love that this is based on a real legend and that the author seems to be taking it into a new direction. I'm always curious to see how things like this turn out!

Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo, transl. Chi-Young Kim
Publication: December 3rd, 2024
Hanover Square Press
Paperback. 224 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"From the New York Times Notable author of The Old Woman with the Knifecomes a bracingly original story of family, marriage and the cultural expectations of motherhood, about four women whose lives intersect in dramatic and unexpected ways at a government-run apartment complex outside Seoul

When Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbors, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years.

Yet, from the day she arrives, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents show their true colors. Apartment Women traces the lives of four women in the apartments, all with different aspirations and beliefs. Will they find a way to live peacefully? Or are the cultural expectations around parenthood stacked against them from the start?

A trenchant social novel from an award-winning author, Apartment Women incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labor, challenging the age-old assumption that “it takes a village” to raise a child.
"

This is such a compelling topic and I'm really looking forward to how the author tackles this entire premise--I'm curious to learn more about each of these characters.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Review: The Way by Cary Groner

 

The Way by Cary Groner
Spiegel & Grau
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Hardcover. 304 pages.

About The Way:

"A postapocalyptic road trip and a quest for redemption.

The world has been ravaged by a lethal virus and, with few exceptions, only the young have survived. Cities and infrastructures have been destroyed, and the natural world has reclaimed the landscape in surprising ways, with herds of wild camels roaming the American West and crocodiles that glow neon green lurking in the rivers.

Against this perilous backdrop, Will Collins, the de facto caretaker of a Buddhist monastery in Colorado, receives an urgent and mysterious request: to deliver a potential cure to a scientist in what was once California. So Will sets out, haunted by dreams of the woman he once loved, in a rusted-out pickup pulled by two mules. A menacing thug is on his tail. Armed militias patrol the roads. And the only way he’ll make it is with the help of a clever raven, an opinionated cat, and a tough teenage girl who has learned to survive on her own.

A highly original contribution to the canon of dystopian literature, The Way is a thrilling and imaginative novel, full of warmth, wisdom, and surprises that reflect our world in unsettling, uncanny, and even hopeful ways."

The Way by Cary Groner is a thought-provoking and unexpectedly satisfying read that I didn’t anticipate liking it as much as I did—or in the way that I did. The Way is set in a world ravaged by a deadly virus that has wiped out 80% of the population, leaving our protagonist, and while this post-apocalyptic/post-pandemic novel might initially seem like a bleak tale of survival, its heart and tone seem to lean towards a more hopeful overall atmosphere.

The story centers on Will Collins who has been taking care of a Buddhist monastery when he is tasked with delivering a potential cure to a facility in California, which means a long journey west is in store for him. Will's journey is a perilous adventure full of risks and encounters with a fairly eclectic cast of people and animals. His Buddhist background and beliefs added a lot of depth to his observations of both the world around him, as well as his own inner thoughts and struggles, all of which provided some truly thought-provoking perspectives on humanity and survival.

Accompanying Will are Cassie, his cat; Peau, a raven whom Will has learned to successfully communicate with; a couple mules; and a variety of other people and creatures that pop in and out of this journey. I especially enjoyed how Groner explored the lives of various survivors of the virus and delved into the unique ways individuals and communities have adapted to the harsh realities of a post-virus world. I always enjoy getting to meet different people and see how they've all set up their lives and what their own opinions and perspective are on everything that's been going on. These glimpses into survival and rebuilding were some of my favorite aspects of the story as I felt they added so much more depth to the story and narrative.

I previously mentioned that The Way has an overall hopeful tone to it, but that's not to say that it does not also take a cold hard look at the realities of a post-virus world. There are many moments when Will and readers alike are confronted with the unflinching reality of loss, desperation, and many more hardships that would likely occur after such a traumatic event. There's a strong balance of realism and optimism that I thought worked perfectly for this story that prevented it from becoming too dark.

I particularly liked the ending and thought it was well-deserved and more satisfying than I anticipated. I can see it not working well for some people and I can certainly understand why, but it's one of those where I sort of secretly wanted a certain ending and this one really hit the mark for me with how earned and meaningful it felt.

Lastly, I listened to the audiobook version and thought the. narrator did an excellent job capturing the tone of Will throughout. I felt they captured Will’s voice and the tone of the story perfectly, which made it an even more immersive experience.

The Way is a fantastic post-apocalyptic novel that blends insight, adventure, and heart. I would readily recommend it to readers across genres—whether you’re here for the premise, the philosophy, or the character-driven storytelling, there’s a little something for everyone. 

*I received a copy of The Way in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Friday, November 22, 2024

The Friday Face-Off: Current Read #33

                         Friday Face Off New

 Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.


This week's topic is:
Current Read #33

I haven't done a Friday Face-Off in a while, so I thought it might be a great time to jump back in, and this week I've picked a book I've been very excited about: The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami! This book was finally released in English this week and I have been eagerly anticipating this book for years. I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of this one so I've been slowly working my way through it for a while and I'm having the best time being immersed back into Murakami's writing. Because this book was released in Japan in 2023 and has already been translated and released in other languages as well, there are already plenty of editions out there, so let's have a look at some of them!

2024 US | 2023 Japan | 2024 Dutch

2024 Chinese | 2024 UK | 2024 Persian

2023 Korean | 2024 Bengali | 2024 Spanish

2024 German | 2024 Finnish | 2024 Italian


My favorite(s):
These are all such cool covers! I am particularly drawn to the US, Japan, and Chinese editions this time around. The Chinese edition is actually really grabbing me, I'm really liking the style of it. The Korean edition is also really striking. Which cover(s) do you like the most!?