Tag: book reviews

Review – A Man, A Woman & A Hippopotamus

Posted October 21, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – A Man, A Woman & A Hippopotamus

A Man, A Woman & A Hippopotamus

by Selima Hill

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 269
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

Selima Hill’s twenty-second collection A Man, a Woman & a Hippopotamus presents ten sequences of short poems, prose poems and short pieces on relationships and doings between people, animals and the world at large.

I borrowed Selima Hill’s A Man, A Woman, & A Hippopotamus from the library pretty much just because of the title (and cover), I must admit. I really wanted to know what the hippo had to do with anything. In the end, I’m not much the wiser: the poems are very small fragments, and it’s not clear to me that they were meant to be connected or build on each other much.

There were some interesting images/fragments, and it’s not that I thought the writing was bad, it’s more that I just didn’t find the very disconnected/fragmentary nature of it very engaging or enjoyable.

I don’t think I’m totally put off Selima Hill’s work; I’d be game to try something else! But if it’s all like this, perhaps it’s just not for me.

Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)

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Review – Egypt’s Golden Couple

Posted October 19, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Egypt’s Golden Couple

Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth

by John Darnell, Colleen Darnell

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 384
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

Two celebrated Egyptologists bring to vivid life the intriguing and controversial reign of King Tut's parents.

Akhenaten has been the subject of radically different, even contradictory, biographies. The king has achieved fame as the world's first individual and the first monotheist, but others have seen him as an incestuous tyrant who nearly ruined the kingdom he ruled. The gold funerary mask of his son Tutankhamun and the painted bust of his wife Nefertiti are the most recognizable artifacts from all of ancient Egypt. But who are Akhenaten and Nefertiti? And what can we actually say about rulers who lived more than three thousand years ago?

November 2022 marks the centennial of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and although "King Tut" is a household name, his nine-year rule pales in comparison to the revolutionary reign of his parents. Akhenaten and Nefertiti became gods on earth by transforming Egyptian solar worship, innovating in art and urban design, and merging religion and politics in ways never attempted before.

Combining fascinating scholarship, detective suspense, and adventurous thrills, Egypt's Golden Couple is a journey through excavations, museums, hieroglyphic texts, and stunning artifacts. From clue to clue, renowned Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell reconstruct an otherwise untold story of the magnificent reign of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.

John and Colleen Darnell’s Egypt’s Golden Couple focuses on the Amarna period, which of course means Akhenaten and Nefertiti are frequently centre-stage. It’s important to know going in that each chapter begins with a bit of fictional reconstruction, going beyond just explaining finds in an illustrative way and imagining the personalities of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. It isn’t clear how many of the details are grounded in any kind of historical fact, and I find it a pretty suspect way of going about writing history, even history for a popular audience. That’s one of my personal preferences/bugbears, even when it’s fairly unobtrusive, and it’s very frequent in this book: sometimes the fictional sections are as long as the chapter they accompany, or maybe even longer.

I did find the authors’ interpretations of Akhenaten more sympathetic than typical, and directly contradictory to what I previously knew at times. For example, suggesting the letter from an Egyptian queen to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma was from Meritaten, not Akhesenamun as frequently believed. They do put forward a reasonable explanation and they’re not totally alone in making the suggestion, but they don’t mention certain things (like the throne name of the dead king, or the part about the queen not wanting to marry a servant) that would tend to suggest the letter was from Ankhesenamun. The selective nature of some of the evidence is a bit suspect.

Overall, though, I found it interesting to read even though as a layperson I only know enough to know that I’d be wary of accepting any of this completely at face value.

Weirdly, I note that someone comments in their review that there are zero illustrations, but there are plenty — where they are relevant — e.g. reproducing the scenes from stelae that are under discussion. They are in black-and-white, but they are definitely there and appropriately sized and clear enough to examine for yourself.

My rating mostly reflects my dislike of the heavy level of fiction in this book, which I honestly find simply inappropriate. If you want to write a novel about Akhenaten and Nefertiti and their amazing love, then write it; I am certain you will find an audience.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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Review – Murder in the Maze

Posted October 19, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Murder in the Maze

Murder in the Maze

by J.J. Connington

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 240
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

When twin brothers Roger and Neville Shandon are murdered by poisoned darts in Whistlefield's famous hedge maze, Sir Clinton Driffield arrives to restore order. He finds two terrified witnesses - visitors to the estate - and clues aplenty in this brilliantly conceived and meticulously realized country-house mystery.

J.J. Connington’s Murder in the Maze is the second book I’ve read by him, if I recall correctly, and I admit I’d expected slightly better from what I remembered of The Ha-Ha Case — though admittedly that was a later book. This is the first one featuring Sir Clinton Driffield, and it suffered from both culprit and detective being incredibly obvious.

There are a few efforts at misdirection that just don’t come off because they’re incredibly obvious. I think the story does try to lampshade this a bit by the “Watson” character realising what Driffield’s up to belatedly, but… the reader understood chapters and chapters ago, and much of what’s coming up is obvious too. I could almost predict every step, from the fake attacks to a side character’s romantic feelings, and it was clumsy as well that several characters (like the two who find the bodies at the start, along with the man they find in the maze) simply slip out of sight.

The whole thing isn’t particularly ingenious, in part because it relies on ye olde exotic poisons (curare, in this case), which immediately narrows the field due to access. It’s never pointed out that, for example, it rules out a particular character — but where would he have got curare from?

I don’t want to spoiler people who might be interested, so I won’t go into too many specifics — suffice it to say, I was disappointed with the quality of this one, and it wore out its welcome pretty quickly. Besides that, the dramatic denouement is then somewhat spoiled by a lengthy debriefing (detective speaks to the various former suspects to explain everything) and by the detective taking justice into his own hands because he knows best, a bugbear of mine in these stories.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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Review – Teddy Bears Never Die

Posted October 18, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Teddy Bears Never Die

Teddy Bears Never Die

by Cho Yeeun

Genres: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

The horrormance genre mash-up you've been waiting for - from the award-winning Korean author Cho Yeeun comes a new novel where a young girl and a teddy bear team up to enact revenge!

A poisoned city - A grieving daughter - A boy trapped in a bear's body.

When the fledgling coastal town of Yamu is rocked by a mass-poisoning attack at The Seaview Parc, the luxury high-rise meant to revitalise the city, Hwayoung is one of many who lost family members. Except, she has never believed that her mother was poisoned. Now, fuelled by grief and a desire for revenge, Hwayoung spends her time hustling to save every penny and bring those responsible to justice.

Across town, Doha wakes up in a teddy bear and realizes something sinister has taken his body. When fate brings Hwayoung and Doha together, the two team up for a revenge quest that will shake the city's shiny façade to its rotten core.

This time, revenge is not just personal - it's supernatural.

I picked up Cho Yeeun’s Teddy Bears Never Die thanks to other bloggers’ reviews, and was very curious whether I’d find it easier to get oriented to the world given I’ve read a few other books/series in translation from Korean (like Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, A Magical Girl Retires, Walking Practice, Solo Leveling — a mix of manhwa and novels) so there’s a bit of cultural familiarity there. And yep, that did help: some of the locations were familiar, some of the untranslated words (like “gosiwon”) were ones I knew, and I didn’t get too tangled up with the names.

It is, of course, still a really weird book, since one central point is that one of the characters spends most of the book possessing a teddy bear. The cover is really striking, showing him as being huge, but that’s not a literal rendition — he’s just a normal-sized bear that the other main character can hold in her arms, though he does on occasion wield a knife.

There are horror elements, but the main feel is of being something of a thriller, with tense scenes of Hwayoung needing to escape being knifed by a perfectly ordinary non-possessed man, get away from the guy exploiting her and trying to sell her, etc. I don’t know how realistic the portrayal of the poverty and crime Hwayoung got mired in is, but it felt like a gritty crime drama at that point.

That said, some of the horror elements are pretty dang creepy, like the ghost of “Grandma”, the ghost-composite that goes after the assassin, and of course, a lot of the stuff to do with Dohyun’s father.

Overall, I enjoyed it quite a lot. The translation read pretty well for me, and I enjoyed Doha and Hwayoung’s journey, and their strained but realistic friendship. The things they’ve gone through are well-evoked; I think sometimes the narrative feels a little on the simplistic side, fairly exterior to the characters, but it still does a good job of making it clear what they’re feeling (at least to my mind!) and thinking, and the intense twisted feelings that Dohyun’s father feels are quite compelling, even while they’re repellent.

I did also like that we get a translator’s note! I’ve noticed that in a few Korean novels (less the webnovel type but more stuff like this and A Magical Girl Retires), and I enjoy reading a bit about the translation experience.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (manhwa), vol 3

Posted October 16, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (manhwa), vol 3

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint

by Sleepy-C, Umi, singNsong

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 248
Series: Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (manhwa) #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

With all the food destroyed by the goblin, Dokja’s group is forced to venture into the dark tunnels teeming with vicious creatures. But in the cruel new world, monsters are not the most dangerous enemies. When the atrocities committed by the “Major Group” come to light, chaos ensues in Geumho Station. And amidst the bloodshed, Huiwon’s true power awakens...the Time of Judgment is nigh!

The third volume of the Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint manhwa covers the aftermath of the group’s arrival at the next station, and their trek to Chungmaro Station. The pacing and storyline all feel pretty much the same as the light novel, so you could almost read them interchangeably (except that the volume numbers don’t match up due to the formats, and maybe missing out on some of Dokja’s internal monologue here and there).

I really love Huiwon; though she’s introduced through a “damsel in distress” type situation where sexual assault has been attempted and she’s in bad shape, that’s a key part of how her character evolves and why she gains the abilities she does. It doesn’t feel gratuitous to me, though I’ve seen some other people complaining about it; amongst all the other violence in Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, it feels significant that it’s mostly not sexual. The story doesn’t want to focus on that, even while we’re seeing a post-apocalyptic breakdown of society: it’s just important that Huiwon was so vulnerable, that people were so vile to her, more so than stealing food or attacking her or something like that.

Still, your mileage may vary and it’s worth keeping in mind that that’s part of Huiwon’s origin story, and may be touched on again.

I continue to enjoy Dokja’s scheming, of course, and I look forward to getting to the “cinema” section in the manhwa (maybe next volume? or the one after?).

N.B. This is being posted a couple months after I read it and I’ve actually read up to volume 10 by now and have 11 coming up on my TBR.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Dream Work

Posted October 15, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Dream Work

Dream Work

by Mary Oliver

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 96
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Dream Work, a collection of forty-five poems originally published in 1986, follows both chronologically and logically Mary Oliver’s American Primitive, which won her the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1983. The depth and diversity of perceptual awareness, so steadfast and radiant in American Primitive, continues in Dream Work. Additionally, she has turned her attention in these poems to the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit, to accepting the truth about one’s personal world, and to valuing the triumphs while transcending the failures of human relationships.

I liked Dream Work a bit more than A Thousand Mornings, but I’ve developed such high hopes for Mary Oliver’s poetry, and this collection didn’t quite hit the spot either. There were more poems that I loved here, at least, and as always the whole thing is suffused with her love of the world exactly as it is, her attention to detail, and her ability to find joy.

The poems in this collection are perhaps a little less wide open and accessible than some of her later ones, which gives her a bit more room for depth, but at the same time, that accessibility is something I enjoyed about her work. Not that these poems are particularly difficult, at least not in the deliberate “I’m writing something difficult just to be difficult” sort of way, but they are a bit less… straightforward. That’s very much a matter of taste, in any case!

Overall, a good collection, though not a favourite.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – A Woman’s Work

Posted October 11, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – A Woman’s Work

A Woman's Work: Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering

by Elinor Cleghorn

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 416
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Mothers make history. For centuries, motherhood has sparked social and political change. Yet the acts of growing, birthing and nurturing children - and the power they hold - have been pushed to the margins, overlooked in our narratives of the past.

In A Woman's Work, Elinor Cleghorn reveals the mothers, othermothers, midwives, activists, and community leaders who have shaped this extraordinary history. They include Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval nun and mystic with pioneering views about the maternal body; Mary Wollstonecraft, who laid the intellectual groundwork to release motherhood from male control; and Sojourner Truth, who drew attention to the abhorrent treatment of mothers under chattel slavery.

Beginning in the ancient world, we learn how in each era, the patriarchy constructed its own idealised notion of motherhood - from the misogynistic dogma of the early church and the stigmatisation of single mothers in 17th century England all the way through to the post-war myth of the perfectly contented housewife. But we also learn how mothers of all classes and circumstances fought back, and lobbied to be valued, respected and supported - not as reproductive vessels, but as people.

A Woman's Work is a radical and inspiring new history of mothering, and a timely reminder that the fight for reproductive freedom is far from over.

Elinor Cleghorn’s A Woman’s Work feels like an obvious thematic follow-up to her previous book, Unwell Women, which I liked a lot. From delving into why women have been sidelined medically and distrusted about their own experiences, it isn’t much of a step to discussing how motherhood has been devalued, the way it’s been constructed by men instead of people who actually give birth, the limits that have been placed on women (and people perceived as being women)… and the problems that has caused for them.

It would be easy to be really gender essentialist in this book, but Cleghorn does use terms like “birthing people” at times, focusing on people who’ve been treated as mothers in general — which does usually mean women, and does mean that in many cases in this book because that’s the nature of a lot of the historical evidence we have about mothering.

It’s not as directly my interest as her previous book was, but I did enjoy it and find her discussions of mothering in different societies, and where those ideas came from, what they were influenced by, etc. At times it’s a little depressing, when you think about how recently some of those attitudes were widespread, and how easy it would be to slip-slide back into them (and how we are already doing so, or never did as much better as we’d hope).

Overall, it’s hard to say it’s “enjoyable” given the topic, but it’s interesting, and worthwhile.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – The Duke of York’s Steps

Posted October 10, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Duke of York’s Steps

The Duke of York's Steps

by Henry Wade

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 280
Series: Inspector Poole #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Henry Wade's The Duke of York's Steps intricately weaves a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and social commentary set against the backdrop of post-World War I England. The novel is marked by Wade's sharp prose and attention to psychological depth, creating multifaceted characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. The narrative unfolds with a sense of foreboding, as the protagonist navigates the underbelly of society, exposing themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the societal changes of the time, showcasing both the personal and communal challenges faced by the British populace in a rapidly evolving landscape. Henry Wade, notable for his mastery of detective fiction, brings his own experiences and keen observations of English society to his writing. Having served as a soldier during the war, Wade deftly captures the disillusionment that many felt upon returning home. His deep understanding of the human psyche and social dynamics informs the nuanced characters and plot twists that are hallmarks of his style. As an accomplished author whose works reflect a keen awareness of contemporary issues, Wade's insights elevate his narrative beyond mere entertainment. Readers seeking a gripping blend of mystery and social exploration will find "The Duke of York's Steps" to be an essential addition to their collection. Wade's engaging narrative invites the reader into a world rich with complexity and moral ambiguity, challenging them to ponder the implications of personal choices against the broader societal shifts of the period. This is not just a novel of suspense but a commentary on the human condition, making it a compelling read for those interested in literature that reflects both timeless themes and specific historical contexts.

The Duke of York’s Steps is a classic crime story written by Henry Wade, an alias for a baronet (Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet) who wrote a surprising number of detective novels which are surprisingly hard to find — I got this one via Kobo Plus US, and none of his books seem to be available on Kobo at all in the UK, and precious few elsewhere. I’d have expected a crime writer baronet to have a bit more novelty value!

In any case, I quite enjoyed The Duke of York’s Steps; it’s fairly slow and methodical, with Inspector Poole working carefully to unpick the mystery and avoid jumping to too-obvious conclusions. There are a few oddities, like all the male characters being attracted to Inez Fratten, daughter of the deceased… including her own “half-brother” (who, in the course of the story, is revealed to be no blood relation of hers — and almost as soon as he learns that, they’re clearly headed somewhere romantic, which is more than a bit weird, even if she already knew).

I mostly found myself liking the characters, at least in the limited sense where they seemed enough like decent and interesting people to give me firm opinions about who I wanted to be the culprit, and who I decidedly did not. I was kind of sad about the outcome, though it made perfect sense once that piece was finally revealed. I’d been to some degree “taken in” by that character; overall, the way it works itself out is pretty neat, if dramatic, albeit with a convenient “instant karma” death that adds little.

Overall, I’d happily read more of Wade’s work — if I could! It’s not fast-paced stuff, but I enjoy this kind of methodical mystery.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine, vol 1

Posted October 8, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine, vol 1

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine

by Liu Gou Hua

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 378
Series: After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

A strange thesis becomes one professor’s reality when he’s transmigrated to the past and awakens as a doomed prince in this hit danmei (Boys’ Love)!

When an outrageous thesis hits the desk of esteemed history professor Jiang Suizhou, his initial reaction is pure skepticism. Dubiously sourced, this thesis tells the story of the legendary General Huo Wujiu, a man renowned for his valor—that is, until he was captured. Stripped of his rank and incapacitated, the general suffered further humiliation by serving as a gift and concubine to his enemy’s brother—the cut-sleeve prince. For three grueling years, Huo Wujiu lived as a prisoner until he finally escaped and sought vengeance against those who dared to torment him.

Convinced this story is purely fiction, Jiang Suizhou brands the thesis a failure–does his student think he was born yesterday?! But Jiang Suizhou quickly learns that it was no mere tall tale when he wakes up as the cut-sleeve prince himself!

Now, stuck lording over his concubine and prisoner, Huo Wujiu, Jiang Suizhou must navigate a treacherous imperial court and avoid the general’s future wrath–lest he wind up with his head dangling from the turrets. His only option? Ally himself with Huo Wujiu. Using his vast knowledge of history, the clever professor devises strategies to shield the incapacitated former general, all while treating him with the utmost care. Yet, Jiang Suizhou’s strategy could backfire if Huo Wujiu were to get the wrong idea about his intentions…

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with volume one of Liu Gou Hua’s After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine; it’s not one I’d seen other readers talking about, or seen people posting fic about, or anything like that. It was a bit of an impulse-buy based on the storyline… I’ve read several transmigration type stories now and it’s not quite that that attracted me, but more the fact that essentially the “disabled god of war” of the title is a disabled prisoner of war being humiliated, and how the author managed to make a romance work in that context.

I am pleased to report that it’s fairly slow-burn, and we’re not being expected to believe that everything’s fixed at first sight! Things aren’t even fixed by Jiang Suizhou turning up in the historical prince’s body. Thankfully, he’s not set up to arrive after things have gone wrong already (as per Shen Yuan turning up after Shen Jiu has already been abusing Luo Binghe in The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, or Jing Shao’s do-over in The Wife Comes First which comes after he’s already carelessly hurt Mu Hanzhang in bed), so he manages to avert outright atrocities, meaning it all feels a bit more realistic that Huo Wujiu could eventually trust him.

I do know that Huo Wujiu’s injuries are actually going to be healed, despite their extensiveness now, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that — magically healing disabilities is an awkward topic, though I don’t know how much Chinese society or Chinese writers have reckoned with stuff around disability. My impression/understanding is “really not much at all”, so that is worth knowing going in. Huo Wujiu manages to be pretty badass from the wheelchair.

Anyway, things proceed slowly but surely, mostly focusing on the political aspects, Jiang Suizhou’s new body’s health (he’s actually pretty frail, essentially chronically ill himself) and only gradually bringing the two of them closer. They’re definitely not confiding in each other yet, even.

I also quite enjoyed that Jiang Suizhou does not really do a lot to hide that he’s no longer the same guy, at least around some members of his household who seem like potential allies. He’s smart: he could probably have figured out how to fool them. But he chooses instead to confide in them enough to make better allies of them, and I’m very curious how that’s going to turn out in the longer run in this story.

All in all, a lot of elements I find interesting, and I’d say the writing/translation feels a touch better than The Wife Comes First, which was my other recent danmei read, which is nice — I’m starting to get a feel for what I like/don’t like in danmei and English translations thereof!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die

Posted October 4, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

by Greer Stothers

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 383
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together.

Funny, touching and inventive, this book is perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Dreadful.

All his life, Sir Cameron has tried to stay as far away from danger as possible. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Sir Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer.

Merulo isn't thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he's really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew?

As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, led by an angry concussed elf—which definitely isn't in any way Cameron's fault—the sorcerer's poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he's also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if their hobby is trying to kill God.

Even if it might get you killed, too.

I was quite interested in Greer Stothers’ Apparently, Sir Cameron Has To Die from early buzz, though I think the summary I read is not the one on the back cover or the current one on store-fronts: I’d probably have known it almost certainly wasn’t for me if I’d seen it referred to as “hilarious” and “off-the-wall”. That’s really the primary problem with this book for me: I bounced off fairly early on because it’s trying so hard to be funny, and the scatological humour actually isn’t the height of wit that it seems to think it is.

Before we go on, it’s my understanding that I need to point out that I’m writing this review for other readers, not to target Stothers, because apparently they’ve been posting bad reviews on their Tumblr and responding to them. I have found no direct evidence of this myself, but I also haven’t looked for long, and I can definitely tell that Stothers is Very Extremely Tumblr so it doesn’t… surprise me.

I also had some issues with Sir Cameron’s anxiety being treated as a joke and as cowardice. I know that’s the character’s and world’s framing, not the author’s (necessarily), but it just crosses a personal line. Being afraid of dying isn’t cowardice. Wanting to avoid fighting in a war isn’t, in fact, unreasonable (though unless I missed it, I think there was no real explanation there as to why Sir Cameron is a knight at all given he doesn’t want to fight). It was… unpleasant, to read that constantly being viewed as just cowardice, even given the bounds of the setting.

Then there’s everything pointed out in other reviews: weird gender essentialism, unnecessary fetishism about women’s bodies, utter disgust and horror about menstruation, Glenda the cartoon-level bigot who we are forced to spend a fair bit of time with, the “tawny-skinned” female character with her “wild” hair and bulging muscles, attitudes toward disability (and assistive technology)…

And on top of all that, there is zero (zero) chemistry between the characters, even in scenes where the author firmly wants us to believe there is. It’s just awkward and out of the blue.

In fairness, some of this is a “your mileage may vary” sort of thing depending on how you feel about some story/setting choices, some of it is well-intentioned, and I think some of it is just accidental… but the sum of all those parts is not (for me) an enjoyable read, and I definitely understand that it feels like the author is, whether blunderingly or deliberately and with whatever motives, engaging in bigoted stereotypes.

Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)

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