December Reviews

Hey! We made it! Go team! And this month had some bangers-- this whole year did really, but I'll make you scroll to the bottom to get my top five reads for this year.

Let's get to it!

Witchmark by C. L. Polk

This was such a fun, different read. I'd compare it to the likes of Freya Marske's A Marvelous Light if I had to tie it to something, but it really stands out on it's own.

Miles has spent years hiding-- from his controlling family, from the community that would commit him for being a witch. But when a dying witch ends up on his hospital's doorstep, Miles realizes he has to stop running if he's going to find out who murdered him. With the help of a magical Tristan and his estranged sister, Miles dives deep into a conspiracy that goes farther than he could have ever imagined, only hoping that he's powerful enough to stop it. 

I love a magical story set in an Edwardian time period. And while this is set in a different land, it feels right on the heels of world War one, with soldiers returning and technology advancing,  only this one is helmed by witches. The social commentary on class and wealth fits the story perfectly, and the exploitation of poor people feels relevant even today. 

Miles is a brave and tired character desperately trying to take care of other people. He ran away from his controlling family to be free and practice his healing magic, and with him as our narrator we can truly feel compassion for the world Polk has created. The other characters add to the rich tapestry without taking away from the grand mystery of the plot, which twists and snakes to become worse as more is revealed. 

Polk is a talented worldbuilder and storyteller, and the balance of romance with the mystery and magic made this a very enjoyable read.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

I've been meaning to read The Murderbot Diaries for a while now, and didn't have the time to fully fall into a series, but that time has finally come!

In a world run by corporations and companies, SecUnits serves as security for any planetary mission. One SecUnit, calling itself Murderbot, has hacked it's over government module, and while it may not like humans it just wants to do it's job. When the mission it's on becomes tangled in dangerous violence, if must help it's human charges find the truth, all while trying to figure out who and what it is.

This was a super quick read (like 150 pages) but packs so much world building and character in. It's deeply science fiction, but in a way that's easily accessible and understandable, especially because the main narrator, Murderbot, either explains what we need to know or doesn't care to know itself. I was immediately endeared by it and can completely understand why it's human charges would go to the lengths they did to work with it and protect it as it protected them.

It's also a really interesting look at what a disconnect in understanding looks like-- the people care and Murderbot doesn't understand why or how, made severely uncomfortable by even needing to make eye contact with them. It's sweet and heartbreaking and I'm so delighted there are more books in the series. 

The plot beyond human understanding vs machine was also entertaining a research mission targeted by a rich outside corporation looking to profit from planetary resources, very sci fi clfuturistic conflict ect, but Murderbot and their obsession with serial television series was the star of the show.

If you're at all into sci fi, please read this.

The Cleaner by Brandi Wells

This was a weird book that felt more like a really intense character study than anything else. Super character driven, though the narrator is never given a name nor does she use anyone else's-- only titles or initials. Which makes sense by the end, but it was still a good weird read.

Told from the perspective of the office cleaner, this book follows the turbulence and rise of a company through the trash picked up and the emails scooped through. The cleaner directs them like an orchestra, or believes she does, pushing them toward or away from decisions she thinks are wrong for them, based solely on her perception of their desks as she cleans. When the company encounters financial problems and workers are laid off, she takes it into her own hands to root out the real issue and save her beloved fourth floor.

This is a such a great study in judgment and outside perspective. People live rich inner lives and outer ones away from the observers who only see a part of them, and the dangers of assigning care or personalities where they're outside your control.

The writing is entrenched in the character-- her opinions, her supposed guidance, her attachment. There is no story only her and her actions, interactions, and cares. She thinks highly of herself and is ultimately crushed by the views of the uncaring people she cared so much about. 

From the description, I think I was maybe expecting something more espionage-esque or a bigger mystery, but this was such a....like the narrator doesn't denote the passing of time, often floating from interaction to interaction, internal monologuing and creating stories about the people around her, casting judgment and doling out punishment as she sees fit. And there are definite moments where she goes too far, where she becomes angry for supposed flights against her or those she cares about, hardly remorseful even when she learns she was wrong. 

Overall this was an interesting read, though not what I was expecting.

Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

The follow up to All Systems Down and the next book in The Murderbot Diaries!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not great at handling sequel summaries, but these stories are so short that it feels very serialized and quick to read, and I think that's the point. Murderbot loves serial tv shows, why not structure these books similarly?

I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one, and Murderbot continues to be awkward and want to protect humans, and this one came with the added bonus of another bot that was snarky and loved humans, so their back and forth was delightful.

Honestly I'm hooked and definitely going to keep reading the series. 

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer

I don't usually read zombie/apocalypse books (they make me scared and depressed because everything is terrible), but this one ended up on my shelf and I figured there's no wrong time to read about sapphics surviving the end of the world.

Mara was bitten by a Tick and presumed dead-- or, undead, that is-- until a tentative "cure" is found, dragging her back to a world she thought had ended. Not quite living or dead, but definitely Altered, Mara is sent to live with her godparents, who's daughter Rory she was once in love with. But neither Rory or Mara are who they were before, and only time will tell if Mara's heart will ever beat again.

It's hard to be wholly creative with the zombie genre, but this book did it's best, and I really liked the idea of a semi-cured group of former zombies reckoning with the damage they unintentionally did and meandering around in bodies forever injured. Mara was a great representation of that, struggling with her guilt and grief for something that she cannot believe wasn't her fault. And then our other narrator, Rory, is the angry survivor, doing what needs to be done to protect those she loves.

The society built after the world fell apart is reminiscent of other apocalypse stories, though it was pretty cool to have the setting be San Diego and Coronado Island, since I'm very familiar with those places. I was super pissed off by the villain, Mal, so I suppose that's a success on Archer's part, but I also got so entrenched in what felt like futile frustration and the whole thing got harder to enjoy as bad things continued to happen.

I will say this book felt very long-- the despair was heavy, and by the time I was three quarters done with the book I was more than ready for it to be over, with hopefully a happy ending. And it did get there, but not with a bit of skimming on my part to get through the very end.

Overall though this was a very sweet rekindled love story that also happened to be very violent and bloody. If you like media like The Last of Us or other zombie books/shows, you'd probably like this one.

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Another Murderbot book! They're such quick reads and all very entertaining. They continue to feel serialized and Murderbot continues to be a reluctant hero saving lives and learning more about humans every step of the way.

This review will be super short, though I do want to say each adventure has been unique, despite following the Muderbot saves the day in space formula, and it continues to be delightful. I love a narrator both so very aware and unaware of it's own identity, connection to others, and worth. Plus, and this probably says more about me than anything else, Murderbot is relatable sometimes and I like that.

Although I was devastated by a loss in this one, and I think Murderbot was too.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

This book was such a delight to read, especially for a week at my parents' house for the holidays.

Velasin, summoned to his father's home, has an engagement with a neighboring royal thrust upon him. But after a terrible encounter in the gardens, where his preference for men is revealed, he's surprised at the visiting delegates easy change-- marry the son instead of the daughter. Thrust into a world where loving the same gender is not only accepted but celebrated, Vel must navigate the treacherous waters of a new political landscape with an unknown husband at his side. Caetheri, similarly thrust into an unexpected marriage, find himself fighting to keep his husband alive, as unknown forces surge toward violence.

I knew this was essentially a political romantasy going in, but it was also a look at unlearning bias and finding acceptance, an exploration of gender and sexuality and healing. There is, trigger warning, on page sexual assault and thoughts of suicide, but the book is prominently focused on healing, and gives Velasin the space and time to recover at his own pace. He's not magically fixed, but Cae is soft and understanding and kind, and with the help of him and his friend Markel and just straight up safety he's able to find his way back to himself.

The worldbuilding was also phenomenal-- I loved that magic was present but not the focus (at least not until it needed to be), and the political structure and complications made it all the more fascinating to learn with Velasin. I did have some trouble following certain rank titles, but never in a way that impeded my enjoyment of the story. And their slow burn romance was so sweet, oh my god.

The other characters were interesting (especially Liran, my beloved) and while it was a rather large supporting cast, the main characters had plenty of space to thrive. The mystery itself followed a complicated but follow-able course, and when the final culprit was revealed I was surprised enough to make it feel like a character betrayal, but not so much so that it felt like it came out of nowhere. 

Overall I really liked this book and will probably dive right into the sequel next-- though that won't be finished by the end of the year, so we'll start the year on a sequel!

I had a really good year in terms of reading, there really weren't too many books I didn't like, and I read several bangers that really blew it out of the water.

Peace and love for next year's books.

Top five books of 2024, in no particular order:

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Icarus by K Ancrum

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

Honorable mentions to The Spirit Bares It's Teeth by Andrew Joseph White and Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

See you all next year!