Premee Mohamed

I really enjoyed this quick read. In a fairytale-like setting, our main character, Veris Thorn, the only person to have ever gone into the magical woods known as Elmever and was able to return with a child that had gone missing many years ago. The "Tyrant" who rules over these lands forces Veris to return to these woods when it is discovered his two children have gone missing. Veris must use the knowledge and cunning she has to navigate the woods and find the children in one day, for after that time, you are never able to leave the woods.
The world building was phenomenal and I found it easy to get completely immersed in the story. If you enjoy fairytales and folklorist type characters you will definitely enjoy this book.
For fans of Naiomi Novik and Katherine Arden.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this lovey dark story.… (mehr)

Alefret is a pacifist in a fascist nation at war. It’s kind of biocyberpunk—there are tanks that are like pillbugs, curling around their drivers, and worms that light cigarettes, and flying cities. After long torture, he is offered a chance to end the war with less suffering, by connecting with pacifists in the enemy’s citadel. This never makes any more sense as a motivation, although perhaps he is just broken and won’t admit it; he clearly doesn’t believe that the plan will reduce suffering but just kind of goes along anyway in hopes that it might, trying not to do individual harm even as his kill-happy minder gets closer to success. It’s not surprising that the enemy turns out to be only arguably preferable to the fascists, and it’s not a hopeful story… (mehr)

3/5 Below The Kirk, Below The Hill
4/5 Instructions
4/5 The Evaluator
2/5 At The Hand Of Every Beast
2/5 The Adventures Wife
4/5 The Generals Turn
5/5 Sixteen Minutes
4/5 Fortunato
4/5 The Honeymakers
5/5 Four Hours of A Revolution
4/5 For Each Of These Miseries - Fun spin-off sort of of lovecraft's the temple in a sci-fi setting complete with unfathomable horrors. Might have been a fun one in first person a la Lovecraft.
3/5 Everything As Part Of Its Infinite Place - I was honestly a little disappointed by this one. Cosmic horror by way of quantum suicide? Yes please. It just didn't land.
3/5 No One Will Come Back For Us - First person cosmic horror, with a vaguely sci-fi twist. Main character is a journalist on assignment in a town in Africa where a strange new illness is ravaging the people, animals and landscape. Pretty good but an (unfortunately) unsatisfying ending.
4/5 Willing
3/5 Us and Ours
2/5 The Redoubtables
4/5 Quietus

Average 3.52 stars, rounds up to 4… (mehr)