Book Review: Aurora Rising

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Rep: Mixed skin color; Possible Queer Character
Trigger Warnings: None

Possible Queer Rep might have you wondering who I am talking about. Finian makes comments about “doing both twins” and makes a comment about “Breaking into his prom date’s boxers”. So he *could* be Bi/Pan. Until the rep is fully spelled out however, I’m not giving any points.

I don’t want another Ronan and Adam of The Raven Cycle. I want Magnus and Alec of Shadowhunters or Mangus and Alex of Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard. I want rep so in your face that nobody can try to re-con it. Yes, I am super picky cuz I’m Queer and it’s 2019. We need spelled out Queer rep in this era more than ever. Not wishy washy two lines.

I 100% recommend this book. I am abit uneasy by a soulmate bond via Aurora and Kal. I do like that Aurora is asking for him to let her fall on her own. I just worry soulmate bonds can’t ever be a choice. It may sound romantic but it really isn’t.

Book Review: LifeLik3

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: LifeLik3 by Jay Kristoff
Rep: None
Possible Trigger Warnings: One of the Lifelike commits suicide; Mass murder of a whole family including very small children

Having read Illiuminae, This and Aurora Rising, I gotta say of the 3 this one was my least fav. I totally recommend it all the same however. I struggled to remember each class of robots.

Being super new to science fiction, I am finding I prefer space and aliens to on Earth with robots.

I had hoped for some good rep but the skin color of the characters, if mentioned, fully escape me. Nobody is Queer. Evie falls instantly for Ezekiel. Also, tho I am not Christian nor always have the most favorable feelings towards the religion, the brotherhood and the preacher chasing them felt abit uncomfortable.

I have read 3 books where Jay is either the only writer or teamed up with Amie, it seems everyone of them had an anti-tech message to them. I’m not 100% comfortable with the idea of robots but I do enjoy tech so I am unsure how I feel about that recurring message.

So, I would totally say go read it! I’m getting book 2 for sure.

Book Review: The Shadowglass

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: The Shadow Glass
Rating: Recommend

In this book, the foucs is mostly on the race to who can create the shadow glass first and if it is Tea, what will she do? Remove magic from the world or rule it like a Goddess?

We also see what happened to make Tea and Fox fall apart. Likh fully comes out to Tea as MTF Transgender, tho again, the term isn’t used. A pairing with Likh and another finally settles.

The only nit pick is, we never do learn the bard’s real name tho his tribe is given. But it’s so minor that it can be ignored completely.

Book Review: The Heart Forger

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
Rating: Recommend

At the end of book 1, we suspect she is raising Kance as we see her madly in love with in The Bone Witch. Yet, she Raises Kalen instead. Quite the twist!

This book keeps with the style of the first book, past is normal font and present is in itilicas.

This book seems to center abit more on Khalad as Tea rescues him. This book also shows that something has happened between Fox and Tea that the Bard isn’t yet told of.

We get to see Likh grew more and more into the Asha he always knew he could be.

Book Review: The Bone Witch

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
Rep: Transgender Character, Two Possible Gay Characters ( One for sure, I don’t know if the dress maker is out right stated to be Gay or Trans, or if He is just very feminine), Magickal System isn’t European based
Themes: Taking one’s power back while fighting a curprt government
Rating: 100% Recommend

Tea can raise the dead, which starts her on road from student Bone Witch to raising many countries to utter ash. The Past is typed in normal text and Present is typed in iltatics. This is later switched in the final book, The Shadow Glass.

This series is just so good. My favorite character is Likh, with Rahim the dress maker a close second. Likh is shown more in the final book as being possible MTF Transgender but this book being written more from an Asian perspective, you won’t find terms your more faimire with in the west. Khalad is gay but he is said instead to have “same-sex attraction”. In the same theme, we never hear Tea nor Likh use the term Transgender but repeatedly Tea asks Likh if he is born in the wrong body, and later in the final book, Likh is addressed as both she and Lady Likh. Rahim’s sexuality isn’t spoken of so I can’t say for sure he is anything more than just feminine. Which there is nothing wrong with, boys should see that they can be straight and cis, and be just as feminine as their sisters if they wish to be.

Minor complaint? Khalad, Kance, Kalen. Kance and Khalad are brothers, and Kalen is their cousin. I found with each book having to remember who belong to which role. The sames are just so alike.

Book Review: BloodLeaf

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
Rep: None
Themes: Feminist, Witchcraft and choosings one family
Rating: 100% recommend
Fav Character: Simon
High light: The Fox

This book was so good. Yes, there is no real rep. No Known LGBT+ Characters, Possible Love Triangle set up at the very end. I suppose the MC’s Brother COULD be Autistic as he shows many of the signs but it’s not out right stated so I’m not willing to give points of that. I’m Autistic myself and finding stated rep is so hard.

The magic is really good and as someone who practices witchcraft in rl, I could see the nods.

Totally get this book. There are 2 more planned in the series.

Book Review: Odd One Out

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Odd One Out by Nic Stone
Rep: Two men married together; Jupiter starts her story Lesbian but ends up questing weather she is Bi or Pan at the end; Rae could be Bisexual as she sleeps with Courtney who is a straight male but pines after Jupiter who is female
Rating: 5 out of 5

This book could totally have gone the route of Poly and it would have worked out nicely but Nic didn’t go that way. In the end, none of the three end up together and I’m glad. All three fucked it up in different ways.

The theme is totally about questioning labels and not having to choose. I personally like labels but I know there is heated debatings on worth of labels,ect.

I would totally rec this book but beware, this book is NOT Poly rep

Book review: Fangirl

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Rep: Mental Illness and Acholo abuse
Rating: 5 out of 5

My book cover is the pink collector’s edition. It has a ribbon and some fan art inside. I got mine from Amazon, if your curious.

I later on tried Carry On but couldn’t get into it and moved it on to a happy girl in my UU Church. I didn’t even fully care for the random pages of it in the book either as it broke up the story.

Cath and Wren are twins, and each one is totally different from each other. Cath is trying to find herself while finally finishing her epic fanfiction she has been writing for years. Wren turns to partying instead.

I would totally rec this book! as someone with anxiety and a fanfiction writer, it felt pretty true to form to me.

Book Review: Girl Made of Stars

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: Girl Made Of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake
Rep: Genderfluid/Gender Queer ( Charlie tests out both); Same-Sex Couple ( Charlie sometimes thinks she is a girl)
Themes: Friend reports a rape and points ta the MC’s twin brother; Dealing with same-sex attraction; Teacher forcing himself on the MC in the past
Rating: 5 out of 5

Mara has a twin brother, and her best friend Hannah is dating him. They go to a party and she says he raped her. Mara has to deal with being pulled in two directions while dealing with her confusing mess with Charlie whom is Genderfluid/Gender Queer.

Very good Genderfluid/Gender Queer rep! I totally rec this book!

Book review: On The Come Up

Posted on by Charlotte (Xe/Hirs/Hirself)

Title: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Rep: Has a Same-Sex Couple; Black story written by a black female
Themes: Taking control back
Rating: 5 out of 5

This book is a bit newer so I’ll try not to give it all away.

Brie is an up-coming rapper and is forced into a spot of “Just how far will you go to have it all?”. I loved this one way more The Hate U Give. I would love to hear a good rapper “sing” the songs in the book as I can’t visualize the beats at all.

I would 100% rec this book!