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kistireads's review against another edition
3.0
** 3 stars **
Thank you to Netgalley and TOR for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was such a surprise - the writing style is not at all what I expected, the narration, the way the story was put together was a total surprise. Good, in the way that I experienced a completely new way of storytelling and narration; but not-so-good because I didn’t connect as well with the story and characters, and I believe many of the nuances just went above my head, so to speak.
This will likely be even richer upon re-read, I think. The atmosphere in this story was something else, the way it was written and narrated felt ethereal, nuanced, like I was constantly surrounded by something spiritual or fantastical, that I didn’t quite understand. The world building also felt similarly, I understood a good portion of it, but also, there were things about the magical system and worlds that didn’t totally click for me. The plot was straightforward in some ways, and in other ways it was confusing for me. Again, I think it was a case of “it’s me, not you” of not completely understanding all the nuances that were being fleshed out. The parallels to our world and the themes explored in this novel were really intriguing, but challenges to catch on when there was so much else in the story, and so many new factors that I was still trying to digest. I enjoyed the way everything wrapped in the story, and I really enjoyed the relationships, romances and interactions in many of the characters.
Yari and Awa were my favorite of all the characters, and I absolutely love that there was LGBTQIA+ rep and non-binary rep in this novel. Yari’s attitude and her way with the other characters was unmistakable, she made an impression on each character, including me, the reader. Awa’s tenacity and resilience were admirable and relatable traits, and I really loved her character arc and the way she grew into herself.
Overall, this is a story that was complex and challenging, and will stay with me for a while. One that I think will be richer and more vivid upon re-read and will reveal more layers and understanding the more it’s read. If you’re looking for a new narration style, and a new style of fantasy story steeped in folklore, then this will likely be for you!
Thank you to Netgalley and TOR for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
This novel was such a surprise - the writing style is not at all what I expected, the narration, the way the story was put together was a total surprise. Good, in the way that I experienced a completely new way of storytelling and narration; but not-so-good because I didn’t connect as well with the story and characters, and I believe many of the nuances just went above my head, so to speak.
This will likely be even richer upon re-read, I think. The atmosphere in this story was something else, the way it was written and narrated felt ethereal, nuanced, like I was constantly surrounded by something spiritual or fantastical, that I didn’t quite understand. The world building also felt similarly, I understood a good portion of it, but also, there were things about the magical system and worlds that didn’t totally click for me. The plot was straightforward in some ways, and in other ways it was confusing for me. Again, I think it was a case of “it’s me, not you” of not completely understanding all the nuances that were being fleshed out. The parallels to our world and the themes explored in this novel were really intriguing, but challenges to catch on when there was so much else in the story, and so many new factors that I was still trying to digest. I enjoyed the way everything wrapped in the story, and I really enjoyed the relationships, romances and interactions in many of the characters.
Yari and Awa were my favorite of all the characters, and I absolutely love that there was LGBTQIA+ rep and non-binary rep in this novel. Yari’s attitude and her way with the other characters was unmistakable, she made an impression on each character, including me, the reader. Awa’s tenacity and resilience were admirable and relatable traits, and I really loved her character arc and the way she grew into herself.
Overall, this is a story that was complex and challenging, and will stay with me for a while. One that I think will be richer and more vivid upon re-read and will reveal more layers and understanding the more it’s read. If you’re looking for a new narration style, and a new style of fantasy story steeped in folklore, then this will likely be for you!
chaptersofmads's review against another edition
2.0
"The Bees keel over, clutching each other's legs, asleep. They dream of pools of nectar, clouds of pollen, and evening dew heavy with flower scent. Why dream of anything else?"
Before I say anything about the book, I want to say that I listened to the audiobook and the narrators (Cherise Boothe and Larry Herron) were incredible. They gave this project their all and I was really impressed. If I was basing my enjoyment simply off of their narration, this would be rated much higher.
With that being said... I did not love this.
This book had so much going for it. It was so creative, with characters that go through so much (joy and heartbreak), genuine queer rep, and a heart that focused on climate change and our connection to nature. There's genuinely so much to love about this book and I wish I could rate it higher.
However, this was one of the most draining reading experiences I have had in awhile. Nearly every technical flaw was present (for me). From disjointed pacing, to a very tell-not-show writing style, I even felt like I was being held at arm's length from the characters. At first, I thought I just needed to focus a bit more and that the story would fall into place, but the longer I read, the less I connected with the story.
I had such high hopes for this book and I really wish I could have loved it more, but that unfortunately wasn't the case. I think there's a very specific audience for this book, but I can't properly articulate who I think that would be. This is such a unique book that I can't think of anything to compare it too lol.
Again, this had so much going for it, it just didn't work out for me.
Before I say anything about the book, I want to say that I listened to the audiobook and the narrators (Cherise Boothe and Larry Herron) were incredible. They gave this project their all and I was really impressed. If I was basing my enjoyment simply off of their narration, this would be rated much higher.
With that being said... I did not love this.
This book had so much going for it. It was so creative, with characters that go through so much (joy and heartbreak), genuine queer rep, and a heart that focused on climate change and our connection to nature. There's genuinely so much to love about this book and I wish I could rate it higher.
However, this was one of the most draining reading experiences I have had in awhile. Nearly every technical flaw was present (for me). From disjointed pacing, to a very tell-not-show writing style, I even felt like I was being held at arm's length from the characters. At first, I thought I just needed to focus a bit more and that the story would fall into place, but the longer I read, the less I connected with the story.
I had such high hopes for this book and I really wish I could have loved it more, but that unfortunately wasn't the case. I think there's a very specific audience for this book, but I can't properly articulate who I think that would be. This is such a unique book that I can't think of anything to compare it too lol.
Again, this had so much going for it, it just didn't work out for me.
local_hat's review against another edition
The italics are honestly bugging me a lot. It's also too slow-paced for me right now.
marsican's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
numberoneblind's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
This should be labeled as LBGTQ+, which is a plus for this book.
World building was good but story structure was hard to follow. Loved the descriptions and details but was hard to follow the story, I thought I missed something in the beginning but based off other reviews I'm not alone.
World building was good but story structure was hard to follow. Loved the descriptions and details but was hard to follow the story, I thought I missed something in the beginning but based off other reviews I'm not alone.
lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
I can tell that the world in this story is so real to the author - they know it so clearly. I found I did not really understand it and so found myself lost in trying to figure out the world and thus could not focus on the story. I did like the different queer relationships and the use of non gendered pronouns for some of the characters.
gperna01's review against another edition
2.0
DNF-Ed at 30%. Truthfully this book made no sense. The timeline was weird the introduction of characters was poor if there was any. I had no idea what was going on the whole time. Not sure why the book is 500 pages and what the plot was but it was dragging. Not my style.
ceciohad11's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
himalaya's review against another edition
3.5
This has super interesting worldbuilding!! the writing didn’t quite work for me though.
The arrangement of sentences made it quite hard for me to follow a lot of the time. I think it worked for Awa’s POV, being quite dreamlike and wandering, but for the other being more complex and political it just didn’t work for me.
I did actually notice later on when they’re both talking - there was a mention of them switching languages, and I noticed the sentence structure was way easier to follow? So I can see this being an intentional choice mirroring how different languages structure things. But unfortunately doesn’t change the fact that I personally felt it was hard to follow in some parts. I don’t think I would have made it through not on audio.
I definitely enjoyed Awa more as a character, watching her grow and learn, her bee friends, and the sweet sapphic romance she had. And I liked the animal POVs, and use of music as magic, the whole smokelands thing….there’s definitely lots of good stuff in here also!