Tag Archives: R.J. Theodore

My 2022 in Reading: Jo Needs a Nap

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I read 192 books this year in a split of: 54 ARCs (up from last year), 33 audiobooks (down from last year), 72 manga volumes (down from last year), 20 physical copies (up from last year), 8 light novels (up from last year), and 5 eBooks (down from last year). I want to share my favorites, so please enjoy my favorite 20 2022 books, favorite 10 books from before 2021, and my favorite 5 manga. I would have done a favorite 20 of backlist books, but, unfortunately, I did not prioritize this year, and I think that contributed to my exhaustion.

Overall, it’s not as many things as last year, and it did bring me dangerously close to burning out on reading. 2023 will be a year for resetting some of my priorities with regards to reading, which will focus on my backlog and reading a whole lot of light novels.

Note: Harper Collins book links have been replaced with the linktree for the Harper Collins Union until that publisher goes back to the bargaining table

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December 2022 Reading Recap

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December is a strange month for me because of traveling to get home and other plans, and having to recon with my own success at completing my own goals (not going to touch on that whatsoever here). It was a month where I read a bunch of things in translation and a singular ARC which feels more in the direction of how I want to be reading into 2023.

December’s only blog interview:

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November 2022 Reading Recap

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November might have been the month that took me out. Though I did not do NaNoWriMo, I wrote a lot and, more importantly for a post coming later this week, I read a lot. So much. So many things. I also wound up watching a lot of Japanese horror films (classics like Ringu and Ju-On, so if you have recommendations, I’d love them).

November’s blog interviews were:

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ARC Review: CAST-OFF (Peridot Shift #3) by R.J. Theodore (2022)

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Genre: Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Year Release: December 2022
Buy Link: Bookshop.org

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Read an eARC from the author
There will be light spoilers for Flotsam and Salvage
Content warning: deicide, dismemberment, murder, chemical warfare, references to torture, gun violence

Souls are torn from their bodies, introducing new beasts, while the gods who still live don’t seem to care. It’s up to Talis, her splinter crew, a half-freed goddess, a transplanted alien, an empress, and a priestess to set it all straight before all souls go to the ether and transform into monsters beyond everyone’s comprehension.

A thrilling conclusion that rights wrongs both within the story and healing from historical ones, definitely a romp that will stay with me and a go-to recommendation for folks looking for a queer adventure expertly navigating the lines between science fiction and fantasy.

An interview with the author will be going up on 12/6/2022.

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Review: SALVAGE (Peridot Shift #2) by R.J. Theodore (2022)

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Genre: Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Year Release: 2022
Buy Links: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Books

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Read a physical copy
Content warning: deicide, vomiting, parental death, dismemberment, murder, chemical warfare

A god is dead, another one has been transposed into the body of a raven, and a sealed-away goddess is on the loose. Talis has lost her ship and part of her crew, but still has several jobs to complete in order to literally stay afloat and keep their lives. The stakes keep escalating, and in this volume, we get a hefty dose of interstellar court intrigue on top of the normal dangers of space piracy.

Magic rings, alchemy, aliens, chanteys, and found family, there is so much goodness from both science fiction and fantasy to be found within the continued misfortunes and advantage of Captain Talis and her crew.

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Author to Author with RJ Theodore (Flotsam)

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Happy re-release day to Flotsam by RJ Theodore. The book was originally released by Parvus Press, but has found a second life with Robot Dinosaur Press. This swashbuckling adventure perfect for adult fans of Treasure Planet. Join me in celebrating this science fantasy first contact story with a behind-the-scenes look at the revision and the journey to publishing.

Buy Links: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Books

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ARC Review: FLOTSAM (Peridot Shift #1) by R.J. Theodore (2022)

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Genre: Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
Year Release: February 1, 2022
Buy Links: Bookshop.org | Unabridged Books

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Read a NetGalley eARC
Content warning: deicide, dismemberment, murder

I had the opportunity to read the original release of Flotsam when it had been under Parvus Press. But in February 2022, the book is being re-released with Robot Dinosaur Press. There have been a few updates in the prose, but largely the story has stayed the same.

It’s the same delightful steampunk meets first contact story about a pirate ship in search of a magic ring which may or may not throw the balance of magic and godhood off in search of power.

An interview with author R.J. Theodore will be going up on release day, February 1, 2022.

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2022 Bookish Hype Train

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2022 will continue to slap as far as reading goes. So many old faves releasing new work, several new blog interviews to come. You are in for a year that will turn that to be read list into a to be read horde.

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July 2020 Reading Recap

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July2020RR

I hit my goal of reading 100 books in July! Which sounds absurd, but between Animal Crossing, unemployment, and ongoing lockdowns, there is so much reading to be done (television, for whatever reason, cannot hold my attention).

This month, I did two blog interviews:

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Review: FLOTSAM (Peridot Shift #1) by R.J. Theodore (2018)

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Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Year Release: 2018
Source: Kindle copy

If you watched Treasure Planet as a kid and wanted to see the same energy  for adults in book form, Flotsam will be right up your alley. Captain Talis takes on a mysterious contract to make sure her crew can eat and survive, but this requisition of a ring opens up an entire can of worms that includes aliens and maybe even killing some gods.

The pacing of this book is so fun. The line from skyward treasure hunt to saving the world goes on some amazing curves. There is enough space between the big action set pieces so that we can really get to know the characters (Sophie is my personal favorite). Speaking of the action, there is a fantastic split between airships and close-quarters encounters. Though most of it takes place in the sky, it has the same familiarity as sea battles in other books.

That’s what makes this book work so well: the leaning into genre conventions of fantasy and space opera in ways where neither outshines the other. Theodore introduces enough magic to ground this piece as a fantasy, with enough technology to add unique bits of world-building. The ship even becomes a character on its own.

Great for folks who like queer characters, airships, pirates, coffee, quests, and encounters of an alien and god kind.