User Profile

Holly Becker

Hwesta@bookrastinating.com

Joined 3 years ago

I mostly read science fiction and fantasy books, simple manga in Japanese, and about one non-fiction book a year. See also StoryGraph app.thestorygraph.com/profile/hwesta

This link opens in a pop-up window

Adrian Tchaikovsky: Elder Race (Paperback, 2021, Tordotcom)

In Adrian Tchaikovsky's Elder Race, a junior anthropologist on a distant planet must help the …

Review of 'Elder Race' on 'Storygraph'

I'm a sucker for science fantasy, and this was a very sweet story. I loved the contrasting viewpoints - Lyn with her adventure, demons and wizards perspective, Nyr with his science and bioengineering, and the linguistic difficulties that enable the disconnect. I appreciated a main character with depression, but still getting to be a hero. 

Aliette de Bodard: Fireheart Tiger (EBook, 2021, Tom Doherty Associates)

Fire burns bright and has a long memory….

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent …

Review of 'Fireheart Tiger' on 'Storygraph'

Didn't enjoy this one. The main character's motivations didn't make sense to me or feel consistent. Maybe I'm missing something? 

Ryka Aoki: Light From Uncommon Stars (Hardcover, 2021, Tor Books)

Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this defiantly joyful …

Review of 'Light From Uncommon Stars' on 'Storygraph'

The premise of this book is so wacky - abused runaway trans girl violinist + deal-with-demons famous violin teacher + refugees from an intersteller war running a donut shop - that I feel like it shouldn't have worked, but somehow it did. This is a heartwarming tale of a young violinist blossoming in a supportive environment, and a selfish teacher coming to care about her student instead of using them for her own ends, and a strange family coming to understand itself a little better, all with some help from their friends.

I blitzed through this book and loved it. 

Shelley Parker-Chan: She Who Became the Sun (2021, Tor Books)

To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything

Mulan

Review of 'She Who Became the Sun' on 'Storygraph'

A sweeping, slightly fantastical retelling of the rise of the Ming dynasty. I enjoyed the segments from Zhu's perspective and her incredible drive to get what she wants, at any cost. I found the Ouyang and Esen segments less interesting, since they kept making bad decisions that didn't make sense to me. I wish we'd seen Wang Baoxiang's perspective, since I liked him. 

Overall, I enjoyed it more than I expected, considering the violence and relatively grim perspective. 

Max Gladstone: The Ruin of Angels (EBook, 2017, Tor.com)

The God Wars destroyed the city of Alikand. Now, a century and a half and …

Review of 'The Ruin of Angels' on 'Storygraph'

The whole premise of this book was bonkers and I loved it. A city with three competing cities you can move between with a thought? A <spoiler>rocket</spoiler> in a fantasy book? I liked seeing Kai and Tara again. I enjoyed the many viewpoints, but it made it harder to stay in the flow while reading. 

Vénus Khoury-Ghata: Nettles (Paperback, 2008, Graywolf Press)

Review of 'Nettles' on 'Storygraph'

I loved this book.

While not one of Ursula's true horror novels, it is a dark fantasy, and I found the setup to be quite grim, and The Thing <spoiler>with Toothdancer</spoiler> really got to me, in a way that most of her other books don't. Once the story got going though, it was wonderful - an adventure romp through strange, mysterious and terrifying places, a motley crew with varied talents using them to solve problems in usual ways, and a satisfying ending. Recommend.

Nghi Vo: When the Tiger Came down the Mountain (EBook, 2020, Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom)

The cleric Chih finds themself and their companions at the mercy of a band of …

Review of 'When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain' on 'Storygraph'

While I really liked this book, I also disagreed with how the central romance was portrayed. (This seems appropriate, given that it's about conflicting tales of the same story). I liked that the tigers were characterized as fierce and unconstrained by human attitudes towards, well, killing and eating humans. However, this made the romance between <spoiler>Ho Thi Tao and Dieu read as abusive to me; it didn't seem sweet that she loved someone who destroyed her stuff and thought about killing her that much.</spoiler>

That said, this was a very enjoyable book to listen to. Chih and Si-Yu were wonderful, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

reviewed A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Dead Djinn Universe, #1)

P. Djèlí Clark: A Master of Djinn (Hardcover, 2021, Tor)

Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe …

Review of 'A Master of Djinn' on 'Storygraph'

A lively romp though a steampunk Cairo filled with magic and Djinn. I really enjoyed it, even though I figured out some of the twists before the narrator, which is unusual for me. 

reviewed In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children, #4)

Seanan McGuire: In an Absent Dream (2020, Center Point Large Print)

Review of 'In an Absent Dream' on 'Storygraph'

I love this book already, and the audiobook does a great job with it. If you've read the previous books in the series you know how this has to end. It's wonderful and heart-wrenching to see how we get there. Probably my favorite book in the series.