“Someone You Can Build a Nest In” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Someone You Can Build a Nest In” by John Wiswell

Shesheshen has made a mistake fatal to all monsters: she’s fallen in love.

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.

However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don’t think about love that way.

Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she’s about to confess, Homily reveals why she’s in the area: she’s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?

Eating her girlfriend isn’t an option. Shesheshen didn’t curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily’s twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.

And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.

Review

I read this one for one of my book clubs. It’s described as a queer romance but the “romance” aspect isn’t what many would usually call romance given that Shesheshen is technically a monster and wants to find someone to lay their eggs in… In any case I ended up enjoying it more than I was expecting too. Shesheshen and Homily are great characters. Homily’s family is a lot but it all works out well in the end for everyone. Part of what helps is that Shesheshen isn’t fully knowledgeable about what it means to be what she is. She had no one around to teach her anything so was essentially making it up as she went along. Shesheshen also has a lot of opinions about humans from having observed them for so long and actually seems to understand them better than she understands herself. Homily desperately needs to escape her terrible family but needs to work through a lot stuff first as well.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Someone You Can Build a Nest In”.

Book Details

Book cover is almost entirely red and black with a person standing near the bottom center holing a lantern. They are surrounded by red tentacles directly behind them and then above them stands a black grinning figure with more tentacles and a long black wig and witch's hat There are multiple other shapes around the cover books and hearts and spices and skulls.

Author’s Website
John Wiswell
Publisher / Date
DAW, April 2024
Genre
Fantasy, Horror
Page Count
304
Completion Date
October 10, 2024

“The Abbess Rebellion” Review

Posted on by Jen

“The Abbess Rebellion” by Oren Ashkenazi

Twenty-three years ago, Sophie betrayed her family to save her people. She failed.

Once second in line for the imperial throne, Sophie led a rebellion that was crushed by her own grandmother. In the years since her defeat, she has lived in exile at a remote abbey. But her quiet life is interrupted by startling the throne sits empty.

This is no cause to celebrate, for enemies gather to seize her family’s power.

On one side, an ambitious general seeks the imperial purple for himself. If he takes the throne, citizens will become serfs and slaves in their own land. On the other side, the empire’s northern enemies smell weakness and mass their armies to invade. If left unchecked, they will burn their way south and wipe Sophie’s home out of existence.

Against these enemies, Sophie has only the stalwart acolytes of her abbey, a few comrades from her failed uprising, and one dogmatic but loyal senator. From the northern frontier to the imperial capital, Sophie must outwit her political foes and face her enemies in battle. If she fails a second time, the empire will fall.

Written by Mythcreants editor Oren Ashkenazi, this second-world fantasy novel is inspired by Byzantine history and the radical idea that the rich should pay their taxes.

Review

I really enjoyed the book! The characters were great and I liked the way the different groups formed and interacted. I thought it worked well that there were multiple conflicts that had to be resolved before Sophie could take the throne. I can’t decide if the one plot twist was to be expected or not but I liked how it was resolved. The ending did feel a little abrupt but it also works for the story since it’s about Sophie’s rebellion more than anything else. Still I kind of wanted to know more and there were few unanswered questions that even Sophie brought up at the end of the book. I’m hopeful for a sequel someday!

Warnings and additional reviews are available at the author’s website for the book, listed below.

Book Details

Book cover for Abbess Rebellion showing the main character Sophie on horseback with the city burning behind her. The book title is at the top and the author's name at the bottom.

Author’s Website
Oren Ashkenazi
Publisher / Date
Mythcreants, March 2024
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
308
Completion Date
October 7, 2024

“Asunder” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Asunder” by Kerstin Hall

Karys Eska is a Deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with an eldritch being—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths. When a new case goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with some very dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.

Ferain is willing to pay a ludicrous sum of money for her help. To save him, Karys inadvertently binds him to her very shadow, an act that may doom them both. Together, they must journey to the heart of a faded empire, haunted by arcane horrors, and the unquiet ghosts of their pasts.

And all too soon, Karys knows her debts will come due.

Review

I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters. The characters are great and I liked the way the various friendships developed. The story is the type where the reader dumped right into the plot without a lot of information about the world so they have to figure it out as they go along. I think this worked out well most of the time, even though there were a few areas I would have liked some more explanation of what was going on and why it was important. I’m not entirely on board with the romance subplot that starts to develop but that’s mostly because romance is not something I enjoy reading unless it’s a very minor subplot.

I did like the idea that on-binary individuals in this world without it ever really being stated. They just appear one the page when talked about or described by other characters with they/them pronouns as a matter of course. There is also at least one trans character in the story. With both of these situations I liked what it meant for the world of “Asunder”. LGBTQIA2S+ People just exist as they are without question.

While the ending is rather abrupt I do believe it works for the story as it plays out. There are several things going on at once and not all of it can be solved easily. I’ve seen that the author is working on the sequel and depending on how it’s marketed I’ll probably read it. If it leans more into the romance plot I might skip it. I could also handle the book ending as a standalone because like I said it made sense with how the plot was going and the overall tone of the book.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Asunder”.

Book Details

The book cover for Asunder depicts a woman with chin length brown hair, standing facing towards the right and is visible from the chest up. She is wearing a tunic that appears to have the outlines of hands grasping her shoulders in outlines. The background is white at the bottom with flames at the top corner. The title and author's name are at the bottom of the cover.

Author’s Website
Kerstin Hall
Publisher / Date
Thor.com, August 2024
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
352
Completion Date
September 30, 2024

“Watermyth” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Watermyth” (Cantata of the Fourfold Realm, No. 1) by Anita Harris Satkunananthan

Plucked out of her pod by the Queen Mother of her merkingdom, Regya has been set a task: to take the potentially deadly Mermaid Storytelling Exam. She has been placed in Yrejveree, the mythical island of exiles to which many Amors have brought their Psyches. Regya narrates and weaves together the stories of the island’s most famous watermaidens: a ferahian Mer-princess who drowned an alternate Venice, an itinerant Malaysian mermaid with the magical power of song, and Aila da Silva, the current active Psyche.

In that telling Regya will also discover the reason behind the war that threatens to engulf the merkingdoms of the Fourfold Realms, a reason that will undermine her own understanding of who she is. The truth is that these Amors are the Fjekres from a fifth Realm. Within the Fjekres society lies an old faction called the Amber Centipedes who are intent on claiming dominion over all of the Fourfold Realms by controlling all of the apertures between worlds. These actions by the Amber Centipedes lead to war in their world. It is a war that creeps into the Fourfold Realms, disrupting life and decimating ecosystems.

Can a mermaid armed with the powers bestowed by her storytelling craft, her Javanese engineer housemate, and her mermaid landlady defeat these beings intent on conquest? Can they change the script of the island they love and claim emancipation from the seductive, powerful and eerie Fjekres?

Review

I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters. It takes a while and some effort to get through because of the way it’s set up. Each chapter is part of the overall story of one of the watermaidens. It’s written as though it’s third person point of view but it helps to remember that it’s Regya narrating the story as she learns it. I feel that towards the end the story comes together and the narrative becomes clearer as Regya learns more and regains some of her memories. The world building is in progress because Regya needs to figure everything out after being memory wiped. I look forward to reading the next book and learning more about the characters and their world.

Warnings and additional reviews are available on the StoryGraph page for “Watermyth”.

Book Details

Watermyth cover which shows a woman in shadow standing behind a railing with open slates looking across a river or bay towards a cliffside with a castle with three towers under a sky filled with stars. On the right next to the castle is a bridge across a waterfall. The title of the book is on the top of the cover and the author's name is at the bottom.

Author’s Website
Anita Harris Satkunananthan
Publisher / Date
Watermaidens Press, January 2024
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
510

Completion Date
September 23, 2024

“Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability” edited by Emmalia Harrington

CONTENTS

Prose –

DEMON SLAYER // Terna Abu – 3665 words

Tse-Abiem village badly needs help, but the Demon Slayer is not at all who they expected. Surely you need muscles and might to defeat something so fearsome… right?

WORMS FILL MY MOUTH // F. Kirk – 4338 words

Isaac is supposed to have a mild illness. The worms in his mouth, teeth in his body, and the Meat stalking him are anything but minor.

THE TOMB OF THE FORGOTTEN SOLDIER // Mwanabibi Sikamo – 5258 words

After Mum died, they have been experiencing vivid dreams and visions. Perhaps these experiences are related to the letter and audio recordings Mum left behind.

WAY UP IN DE MIDDLE OF DE AIR // Jamie Roballo – 2005 words

Papa Ezekiel has had cataracts for as long as June can remember. Tonight, he tells her the story of what he saw, and what he still sees.

Poetry –

Giant Robot and His Person by Akua Lezli Hope

we stim to the moment by Camille Hernandez

Go Body Go! by Taylor Mckinnon

Review

Fiyah is a magazine of Black Speculative Fiction and the them for this issue was disability. I really liked the “Letter from the Editor”, introduction for this one. There’s some good context given in it for everything and a reminder of how many not so great tropes there often is in fiction with disability representations.

Demon Slayer by Terna Abu – Tse-Abiem village badly needs help, but the Demon Slayer is not at all who they expected. Surely you need muscles and might to defeat something so fearsome… right?

I really enjoyed the way this play out with assumptions being made and how fear can create problems and how those problems can be solved. It’s a fun read and I liked that it wasn’t all about the demon slayer slaying the demons but him teaching the villagers something about themselves as well.

Worms Fill My Mouth by F. Kirk – Isaac is supposed to have a mild illness. The worms in his mouth, teeth in his body, and the Meat stalking him are anything but minor.

This was great – It seems like it’s both a story about the ways people have denied COVID and how serious it actually is, along with the problems people face having a chronic illness. Using something that comes across as seemingly a lot worse (actual worms) but still with the “it’s not so bad” reactions from outsiders. Which makes it even more disturbing.

The Tomb Of The Forgotten Soldier by Mwanabibi Sikamo – After Mum died, they have been experiencing vivid dreams and visions. Perhaps these experiences are related to the letter and audio recordings Mum left behind.

I’m not sure I fully understand this one but I like it anyway. It has an interesting plot with interesting characters.

Way Up In De Middle Of De Air by Jamie Roballo – Papa Ezekiel has had cataracts for as long as June can remember. Tonight, he tells her the story of what he saw, and what he still sees.

An interesting story – I really liked the way this was told with a grandfather telling his granddaughter the story of what he saw that night. And how he saw it. There’s a few things going on in the story.

I also enjoyed the poems included in the magazine.

Magazine Details

A black person is depicted on the cover looking down and to the right. She as wearing her hair tied up tightly in two braids on top of her head flowing in the air and earrings as well as a hearing aid in her ears and a necklace. Behind her ar various plants and flying butterflies in bright yellow.

Magazine Website
“Fiyah Issue No. 31 – Disability”
Cover Artwork
Kaitlin Edwards
Date Published
June 2024
Completion Date
September 20, 2024

“Inner Worlds Issue 4” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Inner Worlds Issue 4” edited by Sara Jackson

CONTENTS

  • A Prototype of Yourself, by Albert Chu
  • Colossus, by Samir Sirk Morató
  • The Flame In You, by L. Nabang
  • Two Times I Looked Through The Eye Of The Universe, And The One Time I Became It, by Yasmeen Amro

Review

I really enjoyed the stories in this issue. It’s my first time reading this magazine and I’m looking forward to reading the other issues. I’ve written more thoughts for each story below.

“A Prototype of Yourself” by Albert Chu
“offers a nuanced exploration of therapy and technology” – I really liked how this one showed while while some things are well intended they can still do more harm than good.

“Colossus” by Samir Sirk Morató
“is a visceral dream of obliteration in a wild landscape” – this one go a bit dark in the end but it was still an interesting read.

“The Flame In You” by L. Nabang
“traces the damage caused by gender norms” – I thought this one was interesting and I liked the way everything was done. I ended up feeling sad for everyone involved

“Two Times I Looked Through The Eye Of The Universe, And The One Time I Became It” by Yasmeen Amro
“takes us on a journey across space and beyond reality” – I thought this one as a really interesting concept.

Magazine Details

Magazine cover depicts a black and white image of a dark skinned person with three faces with a second set of eyes under each pair of eyes. the faces are looking left, right and center. Above the person is the magazine logo with a green/blue background which is a planet with rings and a star in the corner and Inner Worlds on the other corner. At the very top of the cover it says Speculative Stories about our Inner Lives and then below on the right side is Issue Four/ August 2024

Magazine Website
“Inner Worlds Issue 4”
Cover Art
“Polymorphic Portrait II” by Oladosu Michael Emerald
Date Published
August 31, 2024
Completion Date
September 20, 2024