An author interview, so many eARCs, and so much writing. Welcome, to another month of reading.

Finished in August

The Last Hope

What I Learned: Personal Stakes

Read an eARC provided by the publisher. Came out in August 2019. This ending works so well, mostly because of how close each POV is within and their relationship with each other. The science can be shaky at best, but it’s the emotional quality of this work that truly makes it shine. The authors were interviewed in this month’s Q&A.

Read Cover-to-Cover in August

Shatter City

What I Learned: Large-scale AI

Read an ARC I got at Nebulas 2019. Comes out September 2019. I love how every book that Westerfeld introduces a new city in each installment. In this sequel to Impostors, we go to the city of Paz which has an AI that serves as its own character. It’s a cool piece of world-building in this futuristic North America, where other surprises lay.

Tokyo Ghoul Vol. 1

What I Learned: Story-Telling

This manga series is the source material for one of my favorite anime. What I really enjoy here is just how meticulously Ishida-sensei establishes normal for the people of this alternate Tokyo. There are ghouls, people are scared, but people don’t know much about them. The art is absolutely gorgeous as well.

Let the Right One In

What I Learned: Playing with Perspective

The way each POV transitions throughout this work is something else. The same chapter doesn’t start and end with the same narrator. Locations bounce around, new horrors are introduced, and cliffhangers and literary jump scares work splendidly.

Technically September

The Orchid Throne

What I Learned: Form and function

Read an eARC provided by the publisher. Comes out September 2019. As the title might suggest, flowers play a big part in the world-building, but also in the character designs and relationships. I really enjoyed how Kennedy played around with floral motifs throughout this fantasy romance.

September, I am editing and then taking a really, really, really long nap.

Happy reading,
Jo