"On a Woman's Madness" by Astrid Roemer
When Noenka's husband refuses her request for divorce, she flees her small hometown for the city, where life is simultaneously free and unfree: an open book; a closed door.
Full review on my main.
Recommend if:
- You like books that focus heavily on characters' emotions
- You enjoy "soul searching" stories
- You like messy or struggling main characters
- You prefer a linear story which communicates itself clearly
- You don't enjoy heavy subject material (definitely check your trigger warnings for this book)
- You want a plot-driven story
Book Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.
This is the story of what happened first…
Spoilers below!
( Read more... )
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Female General, Eldest Princess, by 请君莫笑 ("Please Don’t Laugh")
Female General, Eldest Princess (Original: 女将军和长公主) is a Chinese f/f webnovel following a woman disguised as a man in the military and the eldest princess. It switches between the two stories, until they completely intertwine. Fans have done a great job of translating it into English and compiling it here.
I really enjoyed this; I found the plot super interesting and ended up binging it. If you love drama and political intrigue, it'll probably be up your alley. The romance is complex and very slow-burn, and ultimately really satisfying to me. It's also very specifically lesbian, which was a little surprising to me as one of the main characters successfully passes as a man for a huge portion of the story.
Two issues I think may bother some people though are some descriptions of the main characters; the princess is multiple times described as beautiful specifically for her pale skin, compared to the general's tan. There's also multiple occasions where the narration will say that so-and-so had certain qualities (such as having a tender heart) because of her womanhood. Personally, I felt able to pass these off as the belief system of the characters given the historical setting, but could imagine it being a bigger turn-off for others.
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- author: aliette de bodard,
- author: alyssa cole,
- author: arkady martine,
- author: aster glenn gray,
- author: naomi kritzer,
- author: olivia waite,
- author: tamsyn muir,
- author: zen cho,
- genre: fantasy,
- genre: fiction,
- genre: historical,
- genre: historical romance,
- genre: horror,
- genre: romance,
- genre: science fiction,
- genre: young adult
8 reviews!
1. A Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waite - Absolutely delightful historical romance featuring one woman who's a scientist and one who's an artist.
2. The Wolf and the Girl, by Aster Glenn Gray - The ending is ambiguous about whether it ships the two women or not but I think it falls under the spirit of this community. Historical fantasy featuring the early silent film industry and werewolves. Lovely.
3. In the Vanishers' Palace, by Aliette de Bodard - A Beauty & the Beast inspired novella. The worldbuilding is compelling, but the romance doesn't quite work for me personally.
4. Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir - Okay everyone's already heard about the lesbian necromancers, right? Anyway it's great as advertised, though a bit too far in the horror direction for me to be really happy with personally.
5. Catfishing on Catnet, by Naomi Kritzer - YA novel featuring lots of queer characters as well beyond the f/f relationship. Also a major character is an AI! Fun.
6. A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine - far-future SF, my favourite book I read last year, completely brilliant and riveting.
7. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy, by Alyssa Cole - modern romance novel, I liked the characters but the romance arc doesn't work for me personally.
8. The True Queen, by Zen Cho - historical fantasy, absolutely delightful.
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Daughter of Mystery, by Heather Rose Jones
Mrs Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan
In the end, I had mixed feelings. Review on my DW.
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Mrs Martin's Incomparable Adventure, by Courtney Milan
Diana: A Strange Autobiography by Diana Fredericks
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(no subject)
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