rian | booksky <3

(13/) you should read this if: you want an interesting fantasy/romance story about characters who are deeply fucked up & traumatized, who have absolutely no time to recover for their trauma before they're thrown into the thick of it again, and you have a strong stomach for violence, abuse, & gore.

(12/) i wish that we had a little bit more context to how the magic system functions so that the rituals didn't always feel so out of left field.

despite these critiques, i will be earnestly reading the sequel when it comes out this year, because i want to know what happens to Dima & Vasya <3

(11/) – on how the foundations of the magic system work, so we're in the dark with both the what and the how, which then leads into 2. a lot of the magic rituals can feel very macguffin-y in that they come out of nowhere, are minimally explained, progress the plot, and then go away.

(10/) a lot of the magic system is kept obscured from the reader because it's relatively obscured from Dimitri and Vasily, so knowledge is only uncovered when it becomes relevant. i wouldn't inherently hate this, except for two reasons: 1. the readers aren't given a significant amount of knowledge –

(9/) – before Alexey comes in and catalyzes the plot. the way it was formatted made it feel like chapters of plot interspersed with chapters of nothing.

my other big critique has to do with the way that some of the magic system (the "Holy Science") is explored and revealed to the reader.

(8/) Alexey continues to drive the plot for a good ... third? of the novel before Vasily and eventually Dimitri start taking plot-relevant actions. i feel like a lot of the early Dimitri & Vasily narration could have either been condensed or put closer together so as to better set the stage –

(7/) now for some of my critiques. the first one has to deal with the pacing of the first section of the book – i felt like a lot of Dimitri and Vasily's early chapters read more like prologue compared to beginning of a story, where nothing was really happening until Alexey pushed the plot forward.

(6/) – wholeheartedly *disturbing* (and i say that as a compliment), especially when contrasted with Dimitri's memories of Alexey. he's unapologetically an abuser, which is what makes his chapters so gut-wrenching but so fascinating, and is also what makes him such a compelling antagonist.

(5/) of all three narrative voices, i do personally think that Alexey stole the show. so rarely do we have full POVs from the antagonist of a story, and even more rare do we have an antagonist who is wholeheartedly convinced that he is the protagonist of the story. being inside his head was so –

(4/) all three of the principal characters (Dimitri, Vasily, and Alexey) are different and interesting, and i enjoyed that it was easy to tell who was narrating chapters even without reading the header. the author did a great job at developing individual voices for all three of these characters.

(3/) i love diverse fantasy, and i love seeing magic systems built off cultural traditions instead of following the well-trod road of western european fantasy. this book felt refreshing on that front, with its magic system based off jewish tradition, and it was engaging and grounded in its setting.

(2/) this book is a lot closer to the genres that i do regularly read, so i found it relatively easy to get pulled into the world and the story. the continuously alternating POVs between the three major characters and short chapters also helped the book continue moving.

#booksky the second full novel i read this year was also pretty good! i have some thoughts, and i'm looking forward to the sequel.

THE SINS ON THEIR BONES by LAURA R. SAMOTIN (@laurarsamotin.bsky.social)

4 stars / 5 stars

(1/)

I'm thrilled to hear about Layne's importance in the coming story because they're such a fascinating character, and they explore an avenue of magic in New Atlantis that is entirely unharnessed by any of the other major character's in Rune's court. i'm excited to see where they take the story :)

(11/) - and are constantly fighting for the future of these relationships. you love a world that's keeping so many secrets from the protagonist, and a protagonist that's keeping so many secrets from the world.

if you've read this, let me know what other books you would recommend!

(10/) but besides that one main critique, this series is a fantastic read (if you can get through the vivid exploration of Rune's trauma, that is).

you should read this if: you love found family executed well. you love to get attached to characters who have vast networks of people around them, -

(9/) as a result, there are some characters (most notably: Layne) who are theoretically important, but who seem to have no full personality just yet, merely a concept that allows them to push the plot forward by virtue of existing. i wish, for such important characters, they got more attention.

(8/) i do have one major critique. i understand that in such a wide cast of characters, some characters will inevitably end up more fleshed out than others. however, i did feel there were some important characters who felt more like plot devices than people, even when they were crucial to the plot.

(7/) i also want to commend the author on the nuanced exploration of the protagonist as a trauma victim and survivor in a way that makes you so, so sad for him and so angry on his behalf, as well as the incredible characterization of most of the cast that makes them feel incredibly *real* as people.

(6/) the found family trope is executed incredibly in the trilogy by weaving a complex network of (adoptive) siblings, parents, and children, and then having you become attached to all of these relationships. the found family is the heart of the trilogy and is truly what makes it something special.

(5/) beyond the worldbuilding, the core of the whole trilogy is built off the incredible relationship between the protagonist, Rune, and the deuteragonist, Brand (they're not really brothers, but that's the closest way of describing them), and the found family that they create despite their hurdles.

(4/) the magic system is very dynamic and works in tandem well with technology (which is my biggest gripe with urban fantasy). i would have loved a greater exploration of the magic system earlier on in the trilogy (to better learn the how and the why of sigils), but i won't split hairs over it now.

(3/) aside from the modern setting, the series puts a lot of thought into its worldbuilding. i wasn't fully sold at the beginning, given that it's fantasy worldbuilding superimposed over our modern society, but i was eventually sold on the amalgamation of atlantis myth with unique lore and history.

(2/) i need to preface this by saying that i don't like urban fantasy as a genre. i tend to really not enjoy books set in a more modern settings as a whole. this means that i almost put down the first book in this series because i wasn't sold on the technology.

i'm so glad that i didn't.

#booksky this is my first review of stuff i read this year, and it starts off with something i loved, which is such a joy.

THE TAROT SEQUENCE (the last sun / the hanged man / the hourglass throne) by K. D. EDWARDS (@kdedwardsnc.bsky.social)

4.5 stars / 5 stars for the whole series <3

(1/)

(7/) if you've read this, let me know what you thought of it, & let me know of any series that are similar to this one!

(6/) you should read this if: you like dystopian high fantasy, science fantasy, or science fiction. you like a diverse set of characters whose lives are deeply intertwined in tragic ways. you like watching characters make hard choices and then watching them move forward in the aftermath.

(5/) i know that reading in second person can be disorienting to some, but if you can stomach it at *all*, please consider reading through it. there's a reason why it's done, and the payoff in the third book is impeccable. trust the process and trust the author. she knows what she's doing.

(4/) the magic system is exquisitely crafted and merges into science fantasy gorgeously in the second book. all the characters are so fascinatingly flawed, but in ways that make you cling tight to them, desperately wanting to know how they're going to move forward. it's tragic and it's marvellous.

(3/) it’s the only series that I’ve ever managed to earnestly give 5 stars, because everything about it is brilliant from start to end. it’s an absolute masterwork and I think that everyone should read it. you can tell that it was drafted as a trilogy because everything feeds together beautifully.