Sally Bend's Blog, page 22
June 10, 2024
Book Review: How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler (fantasy)
Author: Django Wexler
Publication Date: 432 pages by Orbit
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Even though I tend to find humorous fantasy . . . well, not hit-or-miss, but perhaps middling-or-miss, since so very very authors manage to nail the balance, I had high hopes for this because I enjoyed Django Wexler’s Burningblade & Silvereye trilogy. I mean, who doesn’t want to read about an oft-defeated hero of legend basically saying “screw it, if you can’t beat him, become them” and switching sides from good to evil.
The problem is that without all the prophecies and chosen-one tropes, moral injustices to rail against, social or political betrayals to avenge, or any of the other staples of the genre, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying just feels selfish and insignificant. It’s a fun read, equal parts silly and sordid, crass and clever, but it’s hardly the kind of fantasy you find yourself getting lost in. It relies heavily on the novelty of the premise to carry the story, but that novelty wears thin before the fantasy pays off.
That’s not to say this was a bad read. I did enjoy it, sometimes immensely, but it spent a long time lingering in the middle of the currently-reading pile. Wexler does some things very well here, including humanizing the monsters and undermining the black-and-white good-versus-evil simplicity of the genre. There aren’t a lot of well-developed characters, but I was rather fond of Tsav, sexy bald orc lady and Most Valuable Minion; Amitsugu, cunning fox-wilder and minion-with-benefits; and Droff, the droll and direct stone eater.
He also does a good job of layering in the humor. Where I generally chafe against footnotes, especially when they’re so numerous that they become a distraction, and only serve to pull in pop culture meta references, I actually found them an enjoyable addition here. Combined with Davi’s narrative, it forces a ‘modern’ layer onto the story, and that made for an entertaining read, even if not an immersive one.
Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for me was that there’s always an ‘out’ or a narrative ‘reset’ to the story, where death doesn’t mean the end of the story, just a chance at a do-over. That robs the story of any tension, and while it lends itself to an air of mystery, wondering when the next reset might occur, the resulting lack of stakes is what kept me at more of a distance than I’d like.
Rating: 
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
June 5, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Arkangel: A SIGMA Force Novel by James Rollins (adventure)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is a return to action and adventure from James Rollins featuring ancient myths, a lost continent, the Golden Library of Tsars, and a war between churches.
Arkangel: A SIGMA Force Novel
by James Rollins
Action & Adventure
528 pages, Hardcover
August 06, 2024 by William Morrow & Company
From the #1 New York Times master of international thrillers comes the story of a hunt across the globe, pitting nation against nation, as ancient myths of a lost continent prove all too real.
The execution of a Vatican archivist within the shadow of the Kremlin exposes a conspiracy going back three centuries–to the bloody era of the Russian Tsars. Before his murder, he manages to dispatch a coded message, a warning of a terrifying threat, one tied to a secret buried within the Golden Library of Tsars, a vast and treasured archive that had vanished into history.
As combative forces race for the truth behind this death and alarming discovery, Sigma Force is summoned to aid in the search–not only for this missing trove of ancient books, but to follow a trail far into the Arctic, to search for the truth about a lost continent and a revelation that could ignite a global war. But Sigma Force has its own difficulties at home after an explosive attack on the National Mall–one aimed at the heart of their covert agency–has left them vulnerable and exposed.
The growing conflict–both on Russian soil and deep in the Arctic–will reignite a centuries-old war between the newly resurgent Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican, while sabers rattle across the nations of the Arctic Circle, threatening to turn those icy seas into a fiery conflagration.
Facing enemies on all sides, it will be up to Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force to unravel a mystery going back millennia–and uncover the truth about a lost civilization and an arcane treasure that could save the planet…or destroy it.
June 3, 2024
Book Review: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (science fiction)
Author: Christopher Ruocchio
Publication Date: September 19, 2023 by Daw Books
Genres: Science Fiction
Protagonist Gender: Male
Empire of Silence is a book that only came to my attention because Ashes of Man (book 5 of The Sun Eater) caught my eye when searching for a vacation read back in February. I was tempted, but this Hadrian Marlowe guy didn’t excite me as much as this witch named Valka, and I couldn’t see the space opera element I was so desperately craving, so I decided to pass at the time.
A month later, having come home from vacation, I began to see all these book bloggers binging the first 3 books, and suddenly I was curious once again. So I broke down and ordered a copy. The first few chapters were rather cold and sterile, making it hard to get into the story, and the fantasy elements were so oddly intertwined in the story that I found myself once again doubting if it was the story for me. And then, just when it started getting good, promising to take us to the stars, it crashed and burned into another more fantasy settings and tropes, just on a different world.
I paused for a bit, catching up on other reads, but eventually found my way back. It was still more fantasy than sci-fi, but I started to connect with the characters, both on the streets and in the arena, and that kept me going. It was still a secondary read, one I only picked up between other books, but then we got into talk of the strange ruins and my curiosity picked up a notch . . . and then came the heretical talk of the Quiet, and suddenly I was hooked.
That’s a rather long-winded way of saying Empire of Silence is a slow-burn of a book, but Christopher Ruocchio has so much history and culture to be established, so many political and religious structures to be established, that he really needs that time – and we need that background to appreciate just how significant Hadrian’s thoughts and deeds are. The last hundred or so pages are amazing, exciting, and gut-wrenching at the same time. I was hoping we’d get to “the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky” in this volume, but clearly that’s far down the road ahead. Instead, we get a sort of delayed resolution to an earlier plot thread, one that wraps things up on a thoughtful, even happy note.
Now that I know both Hadrian and Valka, I’m 100% invested in where this goes next. It requires patience, but if you’re willing to invest the time, it more than pays off in the end.
Rating:
May 31, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
May 29, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: No Road Home by John Fram (horror)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is a Gothic locked-room thriller featuring a young father, his queer son, the murder of his wealthy new wife’s televangelist grandfather, and a spectral figure in a black suit.
No Road Home
by John Fram
Thrillers – Supernatural
416 pages, Hardcover
July 23, 2024 by Atria Books
A young father must clear his name and protect his queer son when his wealthy new wife’s televangelist grandfather is found murdered in this unputdownable locked-room thriller from the acclaimed author of The Bright Lands–perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Paul Tremblay, and Alex North.
For years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright–the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose, Old Testament preaching–he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.
A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood might have some very strange plans for Toby and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed through the heart on the roof of the family’s mansion.
Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murder to be afraid of. And as the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son.
May 24, 2024
Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!
Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!
Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.
Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.
Enjoy!
May 22, 2024
Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Welcome to Dorley Hall by Alyson Greaves (thriller)
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.
My choice for this week is an intense exploration of gender and society that promises to appeal to readers of Torrey Peters, Imogen Binnie and Gretchen Felker-Martin!
Welcome to Dorley Hall
by Alyson Greaves
Thrillers – Suspense
511 pages, Kindle Edition
October 8, 2024 by Neem Tree Press
What if the only way to fix toxic masculinity were to erase it entirely?
Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan never had, but one day he disappears without a trace. A year later, after encountering a woman who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He finds that dozens of young men have disappeared over the years, many of them students at the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, and most of them troubled or unruly. Why are students going missing? Who are these women who bear striking resemblances to them? And what is their connection to the selective student accommodation on the edge of campus, Dorley Hall?
Stefan starts studying at Saint Almsworth for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.
An electrifying début by Alyson Greaves, Welcome to Dorley Hall is an intense exploration of gender and society that will appeal to readers of Torrey Peters, Imogen Binnie and Gretchen Felker-Martin.
May 21, 2024
Book Review: The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episode 1-5 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: March 17 to May 19, 2024
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Various
The Dominion and the Sugilite is a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, one set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.
Over the course of these first 5 installments, Frazier provides an introduction to the world, its history, and its characters, while setting up the relationship dynamics and social/political interactions. There’s a lovely mix of science fiction and fantasy to the story that reminds me of 70s pulp novels, but with a more contemporary (and explicit) FLR/femdom theme.
Like any soap opera, the series contains multiple plot threads that overlap and interact in sometimes surprising ways. There are stories of multiple generations, both young and old; humans, satyrs, and centaurs; Dommes, submissives, and those caught in between; rulers, judges, professionals, and citizens; and lovers, slaves, clients, and porn stars. Some of the connections are obvious from the start, while others take a while to develop, but in each case, they become deeper and more complicated as the series progresses.
With 5 episodes available, I’m cautious about spoiling anything, but there are a few things I feel compelled to fangirl about. One is the portrayal of inter-species relations, sex work, and the power dynamic, with a visually stunning betrayal of a dominant centauress in virtual reality – and the long-reaching consequences of that act. Another is the exploration of forbidden desires, contrasting the scandalous refusal of a young woman to dominate her boyfriend with that of the naughty desires of two women whose relationship requires one to be submissive. And then there’s the uproar around the sensual, sexual, succulent dessert at a restaurant, which leads to a hedonistic orgy that threatens to upset the balance of power.
Like anything B.J. Frazier writes, this is fun and clever, with the power-exchange elements well thought-out (especially where she subverts it). The scenes of worship, submission, and punishment are exquisite, but it’s partly because she invests the characters with such personality that you buy into the dynamics.
I cannot wait to see where the subsequent chapters take us.
Rating:
My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2024
Book Review: How Do I Sexy? by Nillin Lore (nonfiction)
Author: Nillin Lore
Publication Date: August 23, 2024 by Thornapple Press
Genres: Nonfiction
Protagonist Gender: N/A
How Do I Sexy? is many things. As a Guide for Trans and Nonbinary Queers, it is a book about both how and why to be sexy, with equal measures of affirmation and advice. It’s more than just a h0w-to guide, however, with Nillin Lore weaving biography and philosophy into the ‘why’ aspects of the book, leading us on a journey with them.
Nillin opens the book by talking about what they call the Ventura Effect, resulting from the transphobia-for-laughs aspect of Ace Ventura, with Jim Carrey and others gagging and vomiting over the shock/surprise reveal of Sean Young as transgender. For me, it was the Drebin Effect, with Leslie Nielsen having the same deplorable reaction to the transgender reveal of Anna Nicole Smith, but in both cases it’s representative of how we’re indoctrinated from an early age to find transgender people disgusting . . . shameful . . . even frightening. It’s a condemnation of transgender individuals that has long permeated so much of pop culture that many people are plagued with assumptions and visceral reactions based on nothing more than comedic fiction. It’s no wonder we sometimes struggle to accept ourselves and embrace our sexuality, which is why Nillin so carefully sets about undoing the damage before getting to the sexy.
Chapter 3 talks about self-compassion, shaking off unhelpful advice, and finding out what’s behind our anxieties. It’s a sort of intellectual deconstruction that allows us to better embrace the mantras of Chapter 4. What struck me most in that chapter is the idea that “It’s OK to change my mind.” As someone who has, over the years, identified as a transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, and genderfluid . . . straight, bisexual, and pansexual . . . and often just questioning and confused about it all, that’s a powerful message.
In Chapter 5, Nillin explores the wonderful variations in the human body, and the multitude of ways in which we are free to form relationships, all outside the bounds of heteronormativity. It’s also here where they explore the idea of ‘passing’ as a privilege, of being forced to shift from one binary to another, with the expectation for a full transition (and the prejudices against not transitioning). It’s that pressure to shift within a binary that had me so questioning and confused over the years, and that prejudice against not transitioning that keeps me at arms’ length from our local transgender support group. It’s hard enough to find yourself when most of society is indoctrinated against you – we really don’t need to discriminate within our community,
Chapter 6 is where we really start to get into the idea of feeling sexy, and this was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. There’s talk of gender-affirming prosthetics, from dildos to breastforms to binders, and then we get into the wonderful world of lingerie. As someone who has only ever looked at clothing as something that forces me to hide (dressing to cover up) or allows me to express myself (dressing to feel sexy), I’d never considered the inherent discrimination against trans bodies in those very same clothes. Nillin details how lingerie is largely designed for cisgender bodies, with panties that leave no room for a penis or briefs that leave too much room for the lack of a penis. Fortunately, they share some wonderful advice on how to measure yourself, how to accommodate yourself in selecting a size, and even where to shop, and talk about the difference between
That same chapter (and it is a long chapter) goes on to explore the various cultures where sexy clothing is essential to our feeling sexy. There are some lovely groups here to explore and maybe even experiment with, if you’ve never had the opportunity, but the ones that resonated with me include kittens (one of my fondest memories is being dressed as a kitten and taken on a walk by a trans friend), femboys, twinks, witchy goths, and fetishwear (my fondest memory is being dressed in PVC bondage and tied up in the woods by my Goddess).
Chapter 7 is where we start getting into the idea of being sexy, with a fabulous discussion of the gender-affirming power of makeup (including the sensuality of having it applied by someone else) and tattoos. It’s here that Nillin also explores the challenge and the importance of finding safe spaces and inclusive communities. The only part of the book I have any disagreement with is the section here on how preferences are bigoted. I’m a little more forgiving than Nillin here, partially due to my 15 years of reading, reviewing, writing, and editing own-voices erotica. All of that has exposed me to a wide range of identities and sexualities, allowing me to vicariously explore the differences between sexual and romantic attraction, and (more importantly) appreciate the why of attraction. If you’re looking for a kinky fling involving queening, your preferences are likely going to include a vagina, and if a facial is what makes you feel sexy, a penis is going to be on the agenda. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a relationship, that’s where I agree that preferences can do more harm than good, since a lifetime together allows for a lot more learning, experimentation, and adaptation than a one-time fling.
I’ll leave you to explore the rest and determine best how Nillin’s advice and experiences suit you, but How Do I Sexy? is a fantastic read and a book that’s worth keeping on the shelf for reference or revisiting – it has a useful glossary of terms at the back (including a few terms I didn’t know) and a list of resources I fully intend to take my time exploring.
Rating: 1/2
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
