This was probably the best ‘book month’ I’ve had since highschool. Maybe the best book month ever, and the best part? It’s almost exclusively debuts! Someone ought to inform these authors that the first book isn’t supposed to be perfect!
Books Finished in September: 24
Additions to my Absolute Favorites: 7
Average Rating: 4.04 (this thrills me beyond compare, error 404 lol)
Oh, the way I physically need to yap about this book. The way this book rebooted my nervous system, the way it restored my faith in humanity, the way it may have saved my motivation in my final year of engineering, the way I feel physically lighter now that I have read it, the way my heart feels like it has legitimately expanded. 🫶🫶🫶
The way this author, where and when ever he is, reached out and provided exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it. The gratitude I feel, the love, I just… everyone needs to be reading this book right now, quit reading this blog and go read the book (available on kindle unlimited at the posting).
I’m sure a lot of people see my book reviews and my quintessential
“I received a copy of this book for free from __________; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily”
at the top of my reviews (this is on purpose, I want people to know that I did not pay for the media before they read the review) and decided not to read them, thinking I am simply writing a nice review in exchange for free books. I don’t do that (I rated my first ever ARC at 2.5 – I did round up to 3 as there are no half stars on goodreads, but this is a policy I followed before I ever got a book for free, half is close enough in my opinion🤷♀️) and it doesn’t bother me if people do not want to read my reviews. Usually.
For this particular book, I must admit, I almost shoved the disclaimer to the end. It was a significant point of anxiety for me, that people may see that I got the ARC for free and decide my review was bubkus, or – a horrifying thought- that they may decide not to read it at all. It is a fairly new book, with not so many reviews (because it’s new) and I was horrified at the thought someone, even just one someone, deciding not to read it even partially because of me.
The Shadow Ephemeris by Mark Munsell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received a copy of this book for free from BookSirens; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
I’d give it ten stars if they would let me. This book is absolutely beautiful, and not just because of the art contained within. This book is a love note and a warning all in one, and I am so unbelievably thrilled that of all the books in my TBR, of all the books in general, I found this one. Also, it’s another debut – did no one inform the author that a debut has no right to be this good? – most of the time debuts are meant to have some rough edges, you know?
Starting with the art, each chapter title has a gorgeous, and appropriate, image to go with it. I love when books have this detail and I am head over heels for this one in particular.
The protagonists are mostly satellites and computers: aging, sentient, bound together in a groups that feel as real and lived-in as any group of characters I’ve ever read. Real satellites are referenced with obvious care and knowledge (naturally, considering the author’s career). (view spoiler)[The flock, The Northstar Tribe, the spies, the moon all of the dynamics are perfect. The perspective of the Great Silence is genuinely mind-bending. The digital contagion arc is executed so cleanly it feels inevitable rather than convenient (Deus ex 1975-program-ah?).
At first I was a little lost with the human character, and to be honest I questioned his inclusion at all, but the book earns that thread. Everything eventually lands. (hide spoiler)]
What surprised, and thrilled, me most is how the novel keeps changing shape in your hands. It opens like a thriller, then becomes a love letter to satellites and computers, then a cautionary tale, then a love letter to the scientists and engineers who came before us, then a cautionary tale again. It never feels inconsistent, just perfectly layered. By the end it does feel like all of them at once, but to me it mostly reads as a love letter (maybe that’s not the intention) and, I could potentially be projecting. I am finishing my engineering degree right now, and I can’t tell you how badly I needed this book to slap me across the face and tell me I still love this subject, and how badly I needed it this week in particular.
Overall, this book is beautiful, literally and figuratively, and is being catapulted to the very top of my favorites shelf.
A slight aside here: a fair amount of technical terms appear in this book, and as someone in the tech field (not space, but I still made it out OK) this was fine for me, but may confuse other readers. Good thing the author includes a technical glossary for those who may be confused. This level of thought for the reader is so wonderful to see, and endears me even further to this book (also there is an official soundtrack, which is not half bad).
Another brilliant debut, just – no notes – I have no idea how this is so good, debuts are supposed to require a little spit-shine. This one does not. It’s the first in a series and I am positively dying for more.
Not by Sword by A. E. Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received an advance review copy of this book from BookSirens for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
This is a debut novel. I… I actually don’t believe it. It’s far, far better than any debut has any right to be at all. Gimme another, like, right now-please and thank you.
I enjoyed this one thoroughly. The plot was strong, and the worldbuilding was excellent. Full space-opera atmosphere: spaceships, politics, battles, and a final showdown. The characters are all believable and feel like actual people, with more than one character trait. The main character doesn’t feel like a caricature or a stereotypical holier-than-thou chosen one; he acts like a teenage boy (because he is one).
I also love that this book doesn’t hold your hand too much. Many of the debut novels that I have read try too hard to help the reader understand them: going on for paragraphs upon paragraphs of exposition or having characters go into long conversations about things they should already know. (view spoiler)[ This book cheats a bit because Milo is an outsider in the castle, and also quite young, so he requires so expositing to, but it makes sense in the story and I wouldn’t have figured some of it out on my own. This paragraph is mostly just me glad I didn’t have to read a paragraph of Milo and his father explaining to each other how the bull horns work, as this is something they both good and d*am well know. (hide spoiler)]
Sometimes the lore got away from me a bit, but I do largely think that is on me (sleepy student brain). I didn’t even clock the King David vibes until after I finished it.
The only tiny complaint I have concerns the timeline. I know almost all books do this, but it felt like all the events were going by really quickly. I mean, a war starts in the beginning chapters of this book and ends a few months later. I know some actual wars have done the same, and I’m not up on my biblical story knowledge, so maybe it’s to do with that. This is by no means a strong complaint, and I moved on from it swiftly.
Overall, this is a solid, engaging read that I will be happily recommending. Also, where is the next one?
*I’m updating my review because I received a newer copy of the ARC with an additional chapter. The newer chapter takes place at the end of the story, helps tie up many of the loose ends, and overall provides more closure while still leaving room for the next book(s). I think the new chapter elevates the whole book, and I upgraded my review from 4 to 5 stars because of it.
Another, anther debut. My first read of the month, and such a good one at that. The setting and contents are so chaotic, in such a good way, I have no idea how Abigail Moyer managed to imagine this, but I’m so glad she did!
One of My Patients is a Vampire by Abigail Moyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received an advance review copy from Book Sirens for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
I love a good vampire book. Like, in any form: fantasy vampires, classic Dracula ones, even a good sci-fi – if it’s got a vampire in it, even just as a concept – I’m here for it.
I was practically drooling when I first found this book. I don’t usually read blurbs, but the cover was so pretty that I was intrigued and read this one. I immediately fell in love with the concept and knew I had to get my hands on a copy.
The execution was wonderful. There are so many directions a story like this could take, and I tried (and failed) to guess where it was heading. It takes you on an unpredictable ride that often feels like a fever dream, but in the best, most deliberate way. Around the halfway mark, I found myself genuinely confused, yet it never felt accidental-everything seemed carefully controlled.
Overall, this was a solid psychological thriller (more mystery/paranoia than traditional vampire fantasy), which I enjoyed very much.
I didn’t realize this was a debut when I read it (I read another book by this author as well and I thought that one was the debut) but wow, another, another, another debut. Such good writing, I am in awe, especially for a debut. New book later this month, literally have my phone counting down the days on my homescreen.
Heavy Sky by Alex O. Harb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received a copy of this book for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
So, I read this series in a highly unusual fashion; I read most of the short stories before I even started the main book. I was torn about starting the series at all, as it is not finished. Instead of being normal and getting the sample, I decided to read Resonance of Silence, which I liked so much that I read more of the short stories, leading me to start this book with a bit more knowledge than I was supposed to have.
What a strong start for this series! I cannot express enough how much I love the worldbuilding. The world feels expansive and well thought out; it’s a real page-turner. The overall concept of this book is just great, and the execution was spot on. I have never quite encountered this special blend of sci-fi and steampunk, but I love it. The settings were vivid and beautiful, and the characters were engaging.
The only tiny complaint I have is with the constantly switching points of view. This is mostly just a personal preference, but I really struggle to remember what’s going on and who is who in general (I’m a lost cause with names in real life, too). The switching PoVs adds another layer for me to remember and keep straight, not to mention all the times I was really invested, and then I’d get cut away to another storyline. This story sort of necessitates this type of telling, and if it were eliminated, I do think the overall story would suffer, but I’m still gonna whine about it.
Even with that , and I cannot stress this enough, very minor frustration, this is a unique and worthwhile read. I should like another – please and thank you.
More debut content! I am constantly dumbstruck by the talent I manage to bumble across!
Brock Smith and the Dagger of Souls by Jeremy Deshazer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
** I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway for free; my review is my own, and I leave it voluntarily.
I fear that I cannot properly articulate how much I enjoyed this book. This is a solid and heartfelt debut. It has a little bit of that first book shine, slight moments where the writing is a bit rough around the edges, but nothing severe – overall it is a wonderful book.
The themes of loss, grief, and coming of age are handled with real sincerity, and, given how closely it connects to the author’s life, this makes sense and is done well. The personal ties don’t feel forced or heavy-handed. This book was written from a place of real feeling.
As a fantasy hero’s journey, it does what it was meant to: it gives you a likable protagonist and sends him on an adventure, with friends and allies, there’s magic and hijinks – all the good stuff.
Definitely would recommend picking this one up – strong fantasy debut that the author clearly poured his heart into.
I’m realizing now that these may all be debuts… c’est la vie (I’m not changing the opener). Loved this too. Good book month. Good book year. Wonderful book community, I’m a happy cat (pun intended).
There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What did I just read? This is really a stand out book for me this year, the premise, the prose, everything was so on point. A brilliantly original and frequently terrifying science-fiction horror novel built around one of the strongest conceptual hooks I’ve encountered in years.
This book was definitely a challenging read for me, I was reading up until the day the library book was due. The idea of antimemes (entities that erase themselves from memory and records) is executed with real ingenuity and dread. Unfortunately the deliberate disorientation sometimes tips over into genuine confusion that undercuts the experience.
This book commits so fully to the bit that I was often stuck right there with the characters, completely at a loss as to what the heck was going on. There are also several perception switches, sending you jumping around different characters POVs, which is not one of my favorite devices. Somehow qntm manages to make it bearable, even if I had to reread entire paragraphs and chapters frequently.
I’d definitly reccomend to anyone that loves high concept sci-fi, especially anyone who places alot of weight on conceptual horror and atmosphere. Just know the form is as slippery as the subject.