4 stars – Emma Cate Reads

In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard

This fantastic novella surprised me, delighted me, and checked all my boxes. Utterly original beauty and the beast vibes? Check. A gorgeous f/f relationship? Check. A brilliantly imagined post-apocalyptic fantasy society with a Vietnamese cast? Check. Heart-wrenching parent/child dynamics? Check. The world created here pushes up against the boundaries of my imagination, generating a beguilingContinue reading “In the Vanisher’s Palace by Aliette de Bodard”

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

A well-written, utterly original, and captivating science fiction novella. I am fascinated by the world that Okorafor has created, with its diverse human and alien populace. So much science fiction has to do with war lately, and while this novella doesn’t lack carnage and conflict it is fundamentally about acceptance and understanding. I also likedContinue reading “Binti by Nnedi Okorafor”

Home by Nnedi Okorafor Review

While Binti dealt with introducing its namesake protagonist and charting her traumatic journey to Oomza University along with the alien Okwu, Home expanded upon themes of family and identity while also dealing with a topic that I think isn’t touched upon nearly enough in contemporary SFF: dealing with the aftermath of trauma. There is a definite CW for PTSDContinue reading “Home by Nnedi Okorafor Review”

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan Review

A wonderful return to the world of Percy Jackson (even if the titular hero is absent for this one). Having just finished The Battle of Olympus, I loved how I could see bits of Riordan’s set up for this series even then. I have such a vivid memory of my best friend and I literallyContinue reading “The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan Review”