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Remnants of Atonement
Drunk Knights. Dehydrated fish people. The floor of the local tavern after closing: as an apprentice physician at the twenty-four-hour infirmary near the edge of a wartime bivouac, Kilco Escamilla has pretty much seen it all.
That is until a red-eyed assassin arrives in the midst of the annual once-in-a-lifetime windstorm, setting off a chain of events with apocalyptic potential. Soon, Kilco finds herself entangled in an ancient conspiracy involving demons, magical sociopaths, doomsday cultists, and… squirrels?
Armed with nothing but her wits, paranoia, and an alarming amount of pie, can Kilco stay alive long enough to endure another morning shift? Or will she, too, fall victim to the otherworldly forces infesting the colossal tree growing in the middle of camp?
Only one thing’s for certain, she’s not getting paid enough for this.
That is until a red-eyed assassin arrives in the midst of the annual once-in-a-lifetime windstorm, setting off a chain of events with apocalyptic potential. Soon, Kilco finds herself entangled in an ancient conspiracy involving demons, magical sociopaths, doomsday cultists, and… squirrels?
Armed with nothing but her wits, paranoia, and an alarming amount of pie, can Kilco stay alive long enough to endure another morning shift? Or will she, too, fall victim to the otherworldly forces infesting the colossal tree growing in the middle of camp?
Only one thing’s for certain, she’s not getting paid enough for this.
419 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2023
13 people are currently reading
2256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
October 8, 2020
This book is like somebody said to GP McKenna: Write the witcher, but make it Lizzie McGuire. Like chocolate coated bacon, it shouldn't work but somehow does. It is a wild ride, the likes of which you have never been on before.
December 6, 2022
'Chaotic fantasy or clever satire?' -- the questionable offspring of the threesome between 'John dies at the end', 'welcome to nightvale', and 'hitchhikers guide to the gallaxy." bundled up in YA fantasy clothing.
This is an unusually gripping story that pulled me right in from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished the last page. Kilco Escamilla works at the bustling, weird and wonderful infirmary at the edge of Armours Rest. Kilco also suffers from an inperfection known as 'fire on the brain', which should lead to an early death and dives her crazy along the way. That makes her the very definition of an untrusty narrator as she describes the absolutely extraordinary things that happen at this infirmary, mostly after dark.
As strange as all of that is, it’s not why you’ll like the book so much. That reason is quite simply Kilco. She’s got a wonderfully odd way of looking at the world around her and the truly bizarre things happening never seem to faze her in the way they would you and me. She’s not particularly brave, she’s just…odd. If you're a reader who seeks out blank slate characters to insert yourself into, you won't enjoy this. The narrative voice is very established and distinct.
I went into this one not knowing what to expect and found it to be just so intriguingly different. Imagine experiencing an ongoing freaky acid trip, laced with the absurd and surreal and then just add a trace of the supernaturals and then you might get some idea. At times it was a case of lighthearted fantasy but occasionally things became dark and sinister and all without any deliberate explanation or direction. Events were truly random and the reader was left pleasantly wondering what was possibly going to happen next.
Kilco puts me in the mind of Shaun of 'Shaun of the dead' fame. This is weird, wonderful, and fun, but it is also somewhat of a problematic which is why my rating is 4* instead of 5*. I understand why Kilco is the narrator. It couldn't be Ilya because he would be a Gary Stu. I don't even want to imagine what it would look like being stuck inside Pogue's head. I UNDERSTAND the why, and she is one of -- if not the-- best written female fantasy protagonists since Katniss Everdeen, but Remmants of Atonement is not her story. In any other book, she would be a side-character introduced in the second act of a series. She has no idea, nor any interest, in the overarching civil war plot. Which is fine, I actually find the concept of the adults dealing with the big bad instead of leaving it to the 15yo idiots refreshing. But the big problem is that the book begins in the middle of Ilya's story. There is no question, he is the main character, and because the story starts whilst he is mid-journey, there are a couple of occassions where everything has to come to a screeching stop as he exposition dumps everything relevent that happened before Kilco arrived on the scene. He has to, there is no other way for the story to move forward without sinkhole sized plot holes. Because, again, Ilya is the main character. This is his story. More resolution to Kilco as a character instead of just a narrartor would have lent to a more satisfying read.
Lots of great ideas, with wonderful detail and incredible descriptions, but I found the proceedings slightly too disjointed and scattered for things to seriously gel together properly in order to bring about a sense of closure and complete satisfaction to this otherwise undoubtedly enjoyable read. Perhaps this was simply because the ending was not what I was expecting that left me feeling a little disappointed and maybe I might get more answers to my questions if I decide to delve and explore further into part 2 of this series. However, certainly a unique and original storyline with twists and turns that will leave the reader pondering on the eventual outcome and where it might all just possibly lead.
Remnants of atonement also suffers from an irregular plot structure. The closest thing I can think to compare it to is James Cameron's Titanic. The first half of the story is a slow burn, deep dive into Kilco's declining mental health, and the complex, and frankly obsessive, FRIENDSHIP with Ilya (cannot stress enough, Kilco has no love interest. None. Nor any interest in one. This is not a romance, it is an unhealthy, intense friendship. If romance is what you're looking for, look elsewhere.) Then, almost out of nowhere, the plot hits its iceberg, sends all balls to the wall, and the twist and turns do not stop again for a single moment until quite literally the final line. Impatient readers, or those just looking for a casual fae dick read, may struggle with this. Those who preserve will be rewarded.
Also worth noting that this book is THICKK. An absoloute brick. I'm talking 600 pages/200k words. A fun read, and a justified word count, but it is a time commitment to consider before you dive down the rabbit hole. This is not the kind of book you put away in a night (though feel free to take that as a challange). Prepare for a three-day reading hike. Minimum.
Overall, a talented writer who sure knows how to describe and tell a good story. Her writing style is eerily reminiscent and clearly inspired by Neil Gaiman, and like Gaiman, readers will either love it or hate it with very little inbetween. If you fall into the love Neil catagory, give Remnants of atonement a go. At worst, you'll get some laughs. If Gaiman is not to your cup of tea, this probably won't be either. Givs it a miss.
This is an unusually gripping story that pulled me right in from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished the last page. Kilco Escamilla works at the bustling, weird and wonderful infirmary at the edge of Armours Rest. Kilco also suffers from an inperfection known as 'fire on the brain', which should lead to an early death and dives her crazy along the way. That makes her the very definition of an untrusty narrator as she describes the absolutely extraordinary things that happen at this infirmary, mostly after dark.
As strange as all of that is, it’s not why you’ll like the book so much. That reason is quite simply Kilco. She’s got a wonderfully odd way of looking at the world around her and the truly bizarre things happening never seem to faze her in the way they would you and me. She’s not particularly brave, she’s just…odd. If you're a reader who seeks out blank slate characters to insert yourself into, you won't enjoy this. The narrative voice is very established and distinct.
I went into this one not knowing what to expect and found it to be just so intriguingly different. Imagine experiencing an ongoing freaky acid trip, laced with the absurd and surreal and then just add a trace of the supernaturals and then you might get some idea. At times it was a case of lighthearted fantasy but occasionally things became dark and sinister and all without any deliberate explanation or direction. Events were truly random and the reader was left pleasantly wondering what was possibly going to happen next.
Kilco puts me in the mind of Shaun of 'Shaun of the dead' fame. This is weird, wonderful, and fun, but it is also somewhat of a problematic which is why my rating is 4* instead of 5*. I understand why Kilco is the narrator. It couldn't be Ilya because he would be a Gary Stu. I don't even want to imagine what it would look like being stuck inside Pogue's head. I UNDERSTAND the why, and she is one of -- if not the-- best written female fantasy protagonists since Katniss Everdeen, but Remmants of Atonement is not her story. In any other book, she would be a side-character introduced in the second act of a series. She has no idea, nor any interest, in the overarching civil war plot. Which is fine, I actually find the concept of the adults dealing with the big bad instead of leaving it to the 15yo idiots refreshing. But the big problem is that the book begins in the middle of Ilya's story. There is no question, he is the main character, and because the story starts whilst he is mid-journey, there are a couple of occassions where everything has to come to a screeching stop as he exposition dumps everything relevent that happened before Kilco arrived on the scene. He has to, there is no other way for the story to move forward without sinkhole sized plot holes. Because, again, Ilya is the main character. This is his story. More resolution to Kilco as a character instead of just a narrartor would have lent to a more satisfying read.
Lots of great ideas, with wonderful detail and incredible descriptions, but I found the proceedings slightly too disjointed and scattered for things to seriously gel together properly in order to bring about a sense of closure and complete satisfaction to this otherwise undoubtedly enjoyable read. Perhaps this was simply because the ending was not what I was expecting that left me feeling a little disappointed and maybe I might get more answers to my questions if I decide to delve and explore further into part 2 of this series. However, certainly a unique and original storyline with twists and turns that will leave the reader pondering on the eventual outcome and where it might all just possibly lead.
Remnants of atonement also suffers from an irregular plot structure. The closest thing I can think to compare it to is James Cameron's Titanic. The first half of the story is a slow burn, deep dive into Kilco's declining mental health, and the complex, and frankly obsessive, FRIENDSHIP with Ilya (cannot stress enough, Kilco has no love interest. None. Nor any interest in one. This is not a romance, it is an unhealthy, intense friendship. If romance is what you're looking for, look elsewhere.) Then, almost out of nowhere, the plot hits its iceberg, sends all balls to the wall, and the twist and turns do not stop again for a single moment until quite literally the final line. Impatient readers, or those just looking for a casual fae dick read, may struggle with this. Those who preserve will be rewarded.
Also worth noting that this book is THICKK. An absoloute brick. I'm talking 600 pages/200k words. A fun read, and a justified word count, but it is a time commitment to consider before you dive down the rabbit hole. This is not the kind of book you put away in a night (though feel free to take that as a challange). Prepare for a three-day reading hike. Minimum.
Overall, a talented writer who sure knows how to describe and tell a good story. Her writing style is eerily reminiscent and clearly inspired by Neil Gaiman, and like Gaiman, readers will either love it or hate it with very little inbetween. If you fall into the love Neil catagory, give Remnants of atonement a go. At worst, you'll get some laughs. If Gaiman is not to your cup of tea, this probably won't be either. Givs it a miss.
July 21, 2020
I received a eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kilco and her tough as nails mother, Dr Kira, live in the city of Bethany. Kilco is bored of the humdrum life she leads. When her mother receives a request to become the royal physician in one of the neighbouring kingdom's war camps, she is desperate for her mother to let her come along. Kilco soon finds more adventure than she bargained for when an injured patient is brought to the infirmary. Kilco has to stay quarantined with Ilya , and the two soon become fast friends. Their relationship begins to change as Ilya heals and is preparing to leave the infirmary. Kilco is approached by a stranger who offers her a way to keep Ilya by her side forever. This sets off a series of events that will turn their lives upside down.
What I liked about this book
The chapter titles - the chapters are all named after different fears. This was really interesting as hadn't heard of some of them before.
The world - its filled with unusual creatures and magic.
Pierous and Dr Kira are definitely my favorite characters. Dr Kira is very abrasive but also cares alot about Kilco and her patients. Pierous adds a comedic factor to the story.
What I didn't like
For the first few chapters the story seemed to move along in jumps. It was quite disorientating and i kept thinking I'd missed a bit, but this does even out and the story continues at a more steady pace.
I did enjoy reading Remnants of Atonement. After finishing, I was left with a lot of questions, but as this book is the beginning of a series I am sure my questions will be answered in the upcoming continuations.
3.5 stars
✭✭✭✬
Find this review and others on my blog
Kilco and her tough as nails mother, Dr Kira, live in the city of Bethany. Kilco is bored of the humdrum life she leads. When her mother receives a request to become the royal physician in one of the neighbouring kingdom's war camps, she is desperate for her mother to let her come along. Kilco soon finds more adventure than she bargained for when an injured patient is brought to the infirmary. Kilco has to stay quarantined with Ilya , and the two soon become fast friends. Their relationship begins to change as Ilya heals and is preparing to leave the infirmary. Kilco is approached by a stranger who offers her a way to keep Ilya by her side forever. This sets off a series of events that will turn their lives upside down.
What I liked about this book
The chapter titles - the chapters are all named after different fears. This was really interesting as hadn't heard of some of them before.
The world - its filled with unusual creatures and magic.
Pierous and Dr Kira are definitely my favorite characters. Dr Kira is very abrasive but also cares alot about Kilco and her patients. Pierous adds a comedic factor to the story.
What I didn't like
For the first few chapters the story seemed to move along in jumps. It was quite disorientating and i kept thinking I'd missed a bit, but this does even out and the story continues at a more steady pace.
I did enjoy reading Remnants of Atonement. After finishing, I was left with a lot of questions, but as this book is the beginning of a series I am sure my questions will be answered in the upcoming continuations.
3.5 stars
✭✭✭✬
Find this review and others on my blog
June 4, 2020
Thanks to Andraharts publications for the arc copy of this book.
Remnants of Atonement was a book I wanted to read because I had heard it had a realistic LGBTQ+ relationship that didn't suffer from the usual toxic tropes, and the relationship is beautiful, but the surprise quality of this story is the world building. This is true high fantasy, but easy to digest and highly entertaining for a younger audience. A truly fantastic introduction into the fantasy genre for younger readers wanting to dip their toe in, and that's why I'm giving it five stars.
Remnants of Atonement was a book I wanted to read because I had heard it had a realistic LGBTQ+ relationship that didn't suffer from the usual toxic tropes, and the relationship is beautiful, but the surprise quality of this story is the world building. This is true high fantasy, but easy to digest and highly entertaining for a younger audience. A truly fantastic introduction into the fantasy genre for younger readers wanting to dip their toe in, and that's why I'm giving it five stars.
February 9, 2022
Themes
. Existential dread, Gothic themes, dark humor, medical drama, resistance camp bs, unsual questions on unsual morality topics.
. Female mc, low-level/no romance, realistic fiction (until it isn’t), absurdism
. Supernatural, fantasy/sci-fi hybrid, mental illness, demons, warlocks, Lovecraftian monsters, talking squirrels who may or may not be ancient Gods.
"I was doing my evening rounds just now and there was this tramp sitting outside the third wing Infirmary. I felt bad for him, and you know, there’s that baker cart nearby, so I grabbed a hot tea and a few snacks and brought them over. I tell him about a couple of good units looking for orderlies, then ask about his story, and he looks at me like I’ve just slapped his mother. He proceeds to tell me he is the son of some small-time Lord, and chooses to dress that way because it accurately reflects his tormented creative soul, and about how he is sitting outside in the rain to protest coral, or water, or Mariquil. Anyway, I think I just mistook a Knight for a homeless guy. "
What the Hell to say about the Remnants of atonement? A mentally unstable trainee physican works the field hospital at the base of a mammoth cursed tree in the bumblefuck of a sterotypical fairytale Kingdom admid a civil war against a dark Lord. As you’d expect there are times where reality is stranger than fiction as she battles her diseased mind for control and fends off snooty french fishpeople, an older medic with a creepy obsession for teenaged girls who resemble his dead sister, and an infestation of “magical pornography. But that’s just business as usual, the true plot lies within the things even Kilco cannot ignore: like the encampment at the edge of the woods belonging to the secretive race of red-eyed assassins who have served the Royal family since records began, and their injured heir whom she is forced to sit in qaurentine with; the shadow demon only she can see coupled with a disturbing loss of time; and her accidental awakening of the immortal Warlock inprisoned in the giant tree's basement.
Written with a keen self-awareness and realistic dialogue, McKenna caught me off-guard with honesty and apathy. Kilco is faced with the harsh reality that her universe is a pretty messed up place, but as far as she's concerned it’s really none of her business what the universe chooses to do anyway. Along the way, she makes a few solid friends, among them The Shield/Pogue, who is not quite a friend, despite practically living out of their storage closet and Ilya, a baby assassin who is fed up with the constant stomach aches that come from eating the mystery meat pie that the camp cooks claim is chicken but the troops all insist is fish, and just wants to go home to his unnaturally attractive master assassin mom.
"I’m fifteen, I still need my mother's permission to stay up past my bedtime."
The main characters are odd, but the nobels and patients are otherworldly. Everyone in the camp has a vaguely threatening aura coupled with the mediocrity you’d expect to find in the trenches of a Western Army. Entertaining until the end, this love letter to anyone who remembers the insanity of being a teeanger, and does not disappoint. Stick around long enough and if you are truly blessed, you might encounter the existential wisdom of the talking squirrel- illegal gambling ring and all- while trying to pass through on your way to somewhere other than the middle of nowhere.
"A - When falling off Byzantine, I’d hit my head harder than first thought.
B - I had well and truly lost my last remaining marble.
C - I was faking it for attention.
Needless to say, I endorsed option A. "
I can attest to this being a wonderfully ridiculous series. Told in first person, Kilco exposits her dismal existence to help herself keep track of time and sanity. There is no poetic frivolity in this read, the dialogue feels real as not everything has a deeper meaning and sometimes characters just say whatever comes to mind (Looking at you, Pogue), and the people are as real as any you would meet in a run down military camp just trying to survive.
“Prepare to die, you perfect ten.”
No one is a genius, there is no hero waiting to jump into action and save the world- and that is what makes this such a compelling masterpiece. It feels less like a traditional YA fantasy, and more like the novelisation of a highly entertaining side-quest in some epic fantasy video game. Sinking deeper into the uncanny valley than any fantasy book has the right, it's the moments of déjà vu that elicit the feeling that you somehow know these people and places. Even if that person is a giant orca man. This book will amuse, delight, and bask in the dark humor and existential dread of a normal girl with some extraordinary luck. Or lack thereof.
"Truth was, the value of my legacy would be measured only by my relation to my mother and grandmother. The history books would remember me as a daughter and granddaughter, if they cared to remember me at all. I was destined to be forgotten, but in the end aren’t we all?"
I love and recommend it to anyone who loves stories of relatable places shrouded in mysterious yet corky darkness. The main character is my sarcastic, paranoid yet apathetic kindred soul. In the same way I once put an “local ebola threat” on hold in my doctor surgery job, Kilco turns down every opportunity to delve deeper into the chaos surrounding her. Likewise, it does include some vulgar/violent situations and realistically colorful language, so I would recommend this for mid-teens to adults. If your interested, I suggest walking through the halls of your local hospital with a critical eye late one night- just don’t stare too long at the lawn gnomes and try to avoid the night orderly with the lazy eye, you already know which one I’m talking about. And on the way out, don’t forget to flip off the quatermistress - it won’t save you, but it will feel good all the same.
. Existential dread, Gothic themes, dark humor, medical drama, resistance camp bs, unsual questions on unsual morality topics.
. Female mc, low-level/no romance, realistic fiction (until it isn’t), absurdism
. Supernatural, fantasy/sci-fi hybrid, mental illness, demons, warlocks, Lovecraftian monsters, talking squirrels who may or may not be ancient Gods.
"I was doing my evening rounds just now and there was this tramp sitting outside the third wing Infirmary. I felt bad for him, and you know, there’s that baker cart nearby, so I grabbed a hot tea and a few snacks and brought them over. I tell him about a couple of good units looking for orderlies, then ask about his story, and he looks at me like I’ve just slapped his mother. He proceeds to tell me he is the son of some small-time Lord, and chooses to dress that way because it accurately reflects his tormented creative soul, and about how he is sitting outside in the rain to protest coral, or water, or Mariquil. Anyway, I think I just mistook a Knight for a homeless guy. "
What the Hell to say about the Remnants of atonement? A mentally unstable trainee physican works the field hospital at the base of a mammoth cursed tree in the bumblefuck of a sterotypical fairytale Kingdom admid a civil war against a dark Lord. As you’d expect there are times where reality is stranger than fiction as she battles her diseased mind for control and fends off snooty french fishpeople, an older medic with a creepy obsession for teenaged girls who resemble his dead sister, and an infestation of “magical pornography. But that’s just business as usual, the true plot lies within the things even Kilco cannot ignore: like the encampment at the edge of the woods belonging to the secretive race of red-eyed assassins who have served the Royal family since records began, and their injured heir whom she is forced to sit in qaurentine with; the shadow demon only she can see coupled with a disturbing loss of time; and her accidental awakening of the immortal Warlock inprisoned in the giant tree's basement.
Written with a keen self-awareness and realistic dialogue, McKenna caught me off-guard with honesty and apathy. Kilco is faced with the harsh reality that her universe is a pretty messed up place, but as far as she's concerned it’s really none of her business what the universe chooses to do anyway. Along the way, she makes a few solid friends, among them The Shield/Pogue, who is not quite a friend, despite practically living out of their storage closet and Ilya, a baby assassin who is fed up with the constant stomach aches that come from eating the mystery meat pie that the camp cooks claim is chicken but the troops all insist is fish, and just wants to go home to his unnaturally attractive master assassin mom.
"I’m fifteen, I still need my mother's permission to stay up past my bedtime."
The main characters are odd, but the nobels and patients are otherworldly. Everyone in the camp has a vaguely threatening aura coupled with the mediocrity you’d expect to find in the trenches of a Western Army. Entertaining until the end, this love letter to anyone who remembers the insanity of being a teeanger, and does not disappoint. Stick around long enough and if you are truly blessed, you might encounter the existential wisdom of the talking squirrel- illegal gambling ring and all- while trying to pass through on your way to somewhere other than the middle of nowhere.
"A - When falling off Byzantine, I’d hit my head harder than first thought.
B - I had well and truly lost my last remaining marble.
C - I was faking it for attention.
Needless to say, I endorsed option A. "
I can attest to this being a wonderfully ridiculous series. Told in first person, Kilco exposits her dismal existence to help herself keep track of time and sanity. There is no poetic frivolity in this read, the dialogue feels real as not everything has a deeper meaning and sometimes characters just say whatever comes to mind (Looking at you, Pogue), and the people are as real as any you would meet in a run down military camp just trying to survive.
“Prepare to die, you perfect ten.”
No one is a genius, there is no hero waiting to jump into action and save the world- and that is what makes this such a compelling masterpiece. It feels less like a traditional YA fantasy, and more like the novelisation of a highly entertaining side-quest in some epic fantasy video game. Sinking deeper into the uncanny valley than any fantasy book has the right, it's the moments of déjà vu that elicit the feeling that you somehow know these people and places. Even if that person is a giant orca man. This book will amuse, delight, and bask in the dark humor and existential dread of a normal girl with some extraordinary luck. Or lack thereof.
"Truth was, the value of my legacy would be measured only by my relation to my mother and grandmother. The history books would remember me as a daughter and granddaughter, if they cared to remember me at all. I was destined to be forgotten, but in the end aren’t we all?"
I love and recommend it to anyone who loves stories of relatable places shrouded in mysterious yet corky darkness. The main character is my sarcastic, paranoid yet apathetic kindred soul. In the same way I once put an “local ebola threat” on hold in my doctor surgery job, Kilco turns down every opportunity to delve deeper into the chaos surrounding her. Likewise, it does include some vulgar/violent situations and realistically colorful language, so I would recommend this for mid-teens to adults. If your interested, I suggest walking through the halls of your local hospital with a critical eye late one night- just don’t stare too long at the lawn gnomes and try to avoid the night orderly with the lazy eye, you already know which one I’m talking about. And on the way out, don’t forget to flip off the quatermistress - it won’t save you, but it will feel good all the same.
September 10, 2020
An unexpected read.
This is the type of book that really requires to be read twice to grasp the intracate nature of the plot, mainly because the main character really isn't the main character. She sort of brute forces her way into the middle of someone else's story. Imagine those fanfictions we all used to write where our self-inserts students from Beauxbatons transfer to Hogwarts after the Tri-Wizard tornument and become bff's with Harry. It's like that, except professionally done. This can make the story feel a bit disorientating at first, because it literally dumps you in the middle of a story, only you and the main character don't realise that yet. The main character's narrative voice is strong enough to carry you though, especially because that sense of disorientation really suits her erratic characterisation.
The writing style itself is fantastic and highly engaging.
I also very much enjoyed the world building, which is creative and distinct for a high fantasty novel, finding its roots in a (non-steampunk) late Victorian-esq type setting, which was a refreshing change from a library full of medieval set high fantasy.
Overall, this was a fantastic start to a series, and a book that I would highly recommend to a fantasy reader looking for something unique that doesn't follow typical plot forumlas or genre tropes, or somebody who enjoys critically examining stories for hidden meanings. I rate it 4.5 stars.
I was given this book by Andraharts publications in exchange for an honest review.
This is the type of book that really requires to be read twice to grasp the intracate nature of the plot, mainly because the main character really isn't the main character. She sort of brute forces her way into the middle of someone else's story. Imagine those fanfictions we all used to write where our self-inserts students from Beauxbatons transfer to Hogwarts after the Tri-Wizard tornument and become bff's with Harry. It's like that, except professionally done. This can make the story feel a bit disorientating at first, because it literally dumps you in the middle of a story, only you and the main character don't realise that yet. The main character's narrative voice is strong enough to carry you though, especially because that sense of disorientation really suits her erratic characterisation.
The writing style itself is fantastic and highly engaging.
I also very much enjoyed the world building, which is creative and distinct for a high fantasty novel, finding its roots in a (non-steampunk) late Victorian-esq type setting, which was a refreshing change from a library full of medieval set high fantasy.
Overall, this was a fantastic start to a series, and a book that I would highly recommend to a fantasy reader looking for something unique that doesn't follow typical plot forumlas or genre tropes, or somebody who enjoys critically examining stories for hidden meanings. I rate it 4.5 stars.
I was given this book by Andraharts publications in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2020
Thanks to Andraharts Publications for providing a digital ARC of Remnants of Atonement in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a mixed bag of a read for me. The highlight was definitely G.P McKenna's writing. Her voice was absolutely perfect. I also really loved how every chapter was named after a phobia and how this book both plays into and subverts tropes and expectations. For whatever reason I just couldn't get into the plot. The last 3 quarters or so just felt like things happening for the sake of things happening and couldn't hold my attention. This is the kind of book where your enjoyment is dependent entirely on you and your preferences so please don't stop yourself from reading this because of anything I said because I genuinely found nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me.
I probably won't be finishing the series, but if G. P. McKenna ever publishes anything in another genre (I think she'd be incredible in contemporary but I love her writing so much I'd give it a go in any other setting) I'll probably be lining up to read it.
This was such a mixed bag of a read for me. The highlight was definitely G.P McKenna's writing. Her voice was absolutely perfect. I also really loved how every chapter was named after a phobia and how this book both plays into and subverts tropes and expectations. For whatever reason I just couldn't get into the plot. The last 3 quarters or so just felt like things happening for the sake of things happening and couldn't hold my attention. This is the kind of book where your enjoyment is dependent entirely on you and your preferences so please don't stop yourself from reading this because of anything I said because I genuinely found nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me.
I probably won't be finishing the series, but if G. P. McKenna ever publishes anything in another genre (I think she'd be incredible in contemporary but I love her writing so much I'd give it a go in any other setting) I'll probably be lining up to read it.
June 22, 2020
Remnants of Atonement is an interesting book. I've seen another reviewer state that, though it is never specifically addressed, the main character, Kilco, is a textbook case for borderline personality disorder, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. It's so well done that I would almost say the story could be used in psych classes. This character is mentally unstable from the very start and is very much an unreliable narrator, and it only gets worse as the story progresses and she spirals through the devaluation and idealisation phases of BPD with Ilya, which can make her annoying if you're looking for a light read. That's something to keep in mind. This is NOT a light read in any way. It masterfully uses clever humour and writing to sweeten the heavy themes, but it's still medicine.
It's lack of main character romantic subplot, unique themes, emphasis on friendship (or obsession, depending on the way you look at it), lack of tropes and cliches, and engaging writing style definitely make for an interesting and unexpected read that is hard to put down, just go into it expecting those heavy themes and highly complex characters who are not always likeable.
One of the big 'issues' (if you can call it that) is that there isn't really a genre where this book fits. It's probably counted as YA because of the characters age - and they certainly do act their ages - but the themes, the writing style, the voice; it almost reads like a biography or memoir, but obviously it cannot be marketed as that because it's fiction. The main character pokes fun at herself and her past actions. She finds herself annoying. The other characters find her annoying. Ilya, especially, at times finds her annoying. I think the story does itself an injustice by marketing itself as YA because YA has specific tropes that if readers go into this believing that is the genre norms they are going to be receiving, especially with how the story is set-up for the first quarter to half, and this book doesn't do tropes. It will take you on a ride you've never been on before, both mentally and in terms of reading, so if that's something you're searching for, pick it up, just don't expect it to be a lighthearted, easy to digest YA read, because it's not.
It's lack of main character romantic subplot, unique themes, emphasis on friendship (or obsession, depending on the way you look at it), lack of tropes and cliches, and engaging writing style definitely make for an interesting and unexpected read that is hard to put down, just go into it expecting those heavy themes and highly complex characters who are not always likeable.
One of the big 'issues' (if you can call it that) is that there isn't really a genre where this book fits. It's probably counted as YA because of the characters age - and they certainly do act their ages - but the themes, the writing style, the voice; it almost reads like a biography or memoir, but obviously it cannot be marketed as that because it's fiction. The main character pokes fun at herself and her past actions. She finds herself annoying. The other characters find her annoying. Ilya, especially, at times finds her annoying. I think the story does itself an injustice by marketing itself as YA because YA has specific tropes that if readers go into this believing that is the genre norms they are going to be receiving, especially with how the story is set-up for the first quarter to half, and this book doesn't do tropes. It will take you on a ride you've never been on before, both mentally and in terms of reading, so if that's something you're searching for, pick it up, just don't expect it to be a lighthearted, easy to digest YA read, because it's not.
June 14, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Andraharts Publications for providing me an ARC of this book.
This is a fantasy young adult book told in a contemporary voice. It's a story from the perspective of Kilco, a teenage girl from the land of Bethany who finds her life boring and lonely, so she can't help but get into trouble at every opportunity. When her mother, Doctor Kira, is offered a job at a military outpost in the Kingdom of Ascot, she goes along and is initially underwhelmed by her new life there. Then she makes a couple of friends who open the doors to all of the mysterious and magical occurrences in this new land, and she goes along for a wild and crazy ride she never thought possible.
I really enjoyed this book. The author's style of writing is rich and imaginative. The story builds in an organic but highly fantastical manner. The character development is engrossing and unique. I think this is a great start to a series and I am looking forward to reading the next installments.
The genre of this book is YA, so don't be put off by characters acting like, well, teenagers. If you're not a teen, or find teens and their motivations and actions annoying, then this is not a book you'll enjoy. If you like fantasy and are open to an unexpected journey told by a character with growing pains and realistic faults, then you'll probably enjoy this book like I did.
This is a fantasy young adult book told in a contemporary voice. It's a story from the perspective of Kilco, a teenage girl from the land of Bethany who finds her life boring and lonely, so she can't help but get into trouble at every opportunity. When her mother, Doctor Kira, is offered a job at a military outpost in the Kingdom of Ascot, she goes along and is initially underwhelmed by her new life there. Then she makes a couple of friends who open the doors to all of the mysterious and magical occurrences in this new land, and she goes along for a wild and crazy ride she never thought possible.
I really enjoyed this book. The author's style of writing is rich and imaginative. The story builds in an organic but highly fantastical manner. The character development is engrossing and unique. I think this is a great start to a series and I am looking forward to reading the next installments.
The genre of this book is YA, so don't be put off by characters acting like, well, teenagers. If you're not a teen, or find teens and their motivations and actions annoying, then this is not a book you'll enjoy. If you like fantasy and are open to an unexpected journey told by a character with growing pains and realistic faults, then you'll probably enjoy this book like I did.
December 5, 2020
There is a very special place. We’ve all been there. Yes, even you.
Perhaps it was only for a fraction of a second and dismissed just as quickly, perhaps you are not even consciously aware of it.
But, once I tell you, you will never forget it. And you’ll be surprised by the number of times it happens to you. It doesn’t matter what you call that place, the name will probably differ from person to person.
Me? I call that place OFF.
Another thing you should remember is that you can’t knowingly go there. No matter what you do, how drastic, it is not possible.
e.g. Even if you stick your head up Ernest Borgnine’s ass, it won’t do you any good. (I thought about explaining this reference, for I didn’t just pluck it out the air, but it should be more fun leaving you hanging...)
It must be a surprise. Like a pregnancy after a vasectomy...
"That damn doctor screwed up my wife's vasectomy, I tell ya!"
Interested yet?
I’ll try to explain as best I can:
OFF is where your mind goes when you fully believe, even for a fraction of a second, something that goes against your personal logic, reason and life experience. In other words, to believe in something you think is impossible.
I can see that frown, so let me give you some examples:
- When you brace yourself and pick something up which you thought were going to be heavier than it actually is, and for a fraction of a second you believe you’ve become stronger.
- When you get on a skateboard for the first time, and for a moment you think to yourself you can do this, right before your feet goes the opposite direction than your body.
- When you walk into the bar, and this beautiful girl gives you this big, welcoming smile, and you think to yourself ‘This girl digs me!’, right before her huge boyfriend who entered after you passes you.
- When they give you a mixed Rubik’s cube and you think you can solve it.
Are you getting what I’m saying, here? Give me some more examples, I beg you to make me laugh...
Anyway, the reason a went into this whole unwanted explanation, is to make you understand that this book takes place, almost entirely, in OFF. Things may seem normal at the Armoury, but there is just a little something, well, off.
While I enjoyed the humor a lot (it has this JOHN DIES AT THE END vibe), and the writing was much better than I expected, it felt a little too long for what it offered. It is the first one in a series, so there is more story to come, but once the gag has run its course, it’s probably better to put it to bed.
So, the best advice I can give you, is to break this one up into two or three parts. Read something in between, just to keep the humor fresh.
Still, very good effort and I’m glad I read it.
Perhaps it was only for a fraction of a second and dismissed just as quickly, perhaps you are not even consciously aware of it.
But, once I tell you, you will never forget it. And you’ll be surprised by the number of times it happens to you. It doesn’t matter what you call that place, the name will probably differ from person to person.
Me? I call that place OFF.
Another thing you should remember is that you can’t knowingly go there. No matter what you do, how drastic, it is not possible.
e.g. Even if you stick your head up Ernest Borgnine’s ass, it won’t do you any good. (I thought about explaining this reference, for I didn’t just pluck it out the air, but it should be more fun leaving you hanging...)
It must be a surprise. Like a pregnancy after a vasectomy...
"That damn doctor screwed up my wife's vasectomy, I tell ya!"
Interested yet?
I’ll try to explain as best I can:
OFF is where your mind goes when you fully believe, even for a fraction of a second, something that goes against your personal logic, reason and life experience. In other words, to believe in something you think is impossible.
I can see that frown, so let me give you some examples:
- When you brace yourself and pick something up which you thought were going to be heavier than it actually is, and for a fraction of a second you believe you’ve become stronger.
- When you get on a skateboard for the first time, and for a moment you think to yourself you can do this, right before your feet goes the opposite direction than your body.
- When you walk into the bar, and this beautiful girl gives you this big, welcoming smile, and you think to yourself ‘This girl digs me!’, right before her huge boyfriend who entered after you passes you.
- When they give you a mixed Rubik’s cube and you think you can solve it.
Are you getting what I’m saying, here? Give me some more examples, I beg you to make me laugh...
Anyway, the reason a went into this whole unwanted explanation, is to make you understand that this book takes place, almost entirely, in OFF. Things may seem normal at the Armoury, but there is just a little something, well, off.
While I enjoyed the humor a lot (it has this JOHN DIES AT THE END vibe), and the writing was much better than I expected, it felt a little too long for what it offered. It is the first one in a series, so there is more story to come, but once the gag has run its course, it’s probably better to put it to bed.
So, the best advice I can give you, is to break this one up into two or three parts. Read something in between, just to keep the humor fresh.
Still, very good effort and I’m glad I read it.
June 8, 2020
Let me start by saying that I don't review books. I have never bothered to review books before. I have to review this book because idk wtf I just read. I don't know whether to give it 1 star or 5 stars, so I'm going to give it 4 stars because if this book ever gets off the ground there will be literal wars over it.
This is in no ways a light read but I think it's an important read. It is heavy, it deals with very uncomfortable emotions and themes that are very rarely addressed in YA lit. Themes of extreme insecurity, envy, compulsive behavior, unaddressed trauma. I would go as far to say that the main character is an almost too realistic portrayal of borderline personality disorder. I would be very interested to hear what the authors perspective on that and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this was a 'own voices' story.
Just so people are aware, I will say there should be some heavy trigger warning for three specific chapters about a third of the way. Anybody who has read it knows what chapters I'm talking about. They come literally out of nowhere and grab you by the balls and don't let go. They are claustrophobic and I've read many books in my day but this is the first since American psycho where I had to put the book down for a moment, sit back and just breathe. It's very full on and again, almost too realistic to the point I think it's edging a little too close to the realms to be considered YA, but again important for teenagers to see the negative ways that compulsive and negative behavior ends.
This is in no ways a light read but I think it's an important read. It is heavy, it deals with very uncomfortable emotions and themes that are very rarely addressed in YA lit. Themes of extreme insecurity, envy, compulsive behavior, unaddressed trauma. I would go as far to say that the main character is an almost too realistic portrayal of borderline personality disorder. I would be very interested to hear what the authors perspective on that and it wouldn't surprise me at all if this was a 'own voices' story.
Just so people are aware, I will say there should be some heavy trigger warning for three specific chapters about a third of the way. Anybody who has read it knows what chapters I'm talking about. They come literally out of nowhere and grab you by the balls and don't let go. They are claustrophobic and I've read many books in my day but this is the first since American psycho where I had to put the book down for a moment, sit back and just breathe. It's very full on and again, almost too realistic to the point I think it's edging a little too close to the realms to be considered YA, but again important for teenagers to see the negative ways that compulsive and negative behavior ends.
June 25, 2020
First of All this book is amazing I really like it. I love the sass right away of the characters and the world building seems like Australia. It sticks to one persons Point of view. The daughter of Doctor Kira who is raising her daughter Kilco to be a Doctor. ( family line thing) The time period I get since this is a fictional world is around women suffrage time in England/Australia, The character of Kilco is clearly established right away also how fearless she is and strong-minded like her mother.
Each Page has a different diagonsise fear of certain medical conditions which is really interesting and then it trys to correlate in some way. There is very fast character building throughout the whole book. I can also clearly visualize the characters attitudes and looks.
I get a feeling of the OmuHimba Tribes of Africa in part of the character description merged with aborigines of Australia. In relation to the Ilvajuro tribes which are sworn to protect the Ascotians for a secret debt. There is also some strong egos the Ascotians have against these Ivajuro ( race of warriors also ) because there are superstitions of the outsider. I also get a feeling of colonism I don't know if it was meant to be read that way but It sure felt like it.
This amazing book was given to me by net galley in exchange for an honest review.
Each Page has a different diagonsise fear of certain medical conditions which is really interesting and then it trys to correlate in some way. There is very fast character building throughout the whole book. I can also clearly visualize the characters attitudes and looks.
I get a feeling of the OmuHimba Tribes of Africa in part of the character description merged with aborigines of Australia. In relation to the Ilvajuro tribes which are sworn to protect the Ascotians for a secret debt. There is also some strong egos the Ascotians have against these Ivajuro ( race of warriors also ) because there are superstitions of the outsider. I also get a feeling of colonism I don't know if it was meant to be read that way but It sure felt like it.
This amazing book was given to me by net galley in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2020
McKenna's writing style is the standout feature of Remnants of Atonement. It's quirky and well-paced, although at times jumped too quickly between scenes for my liking. Kilco is a likeable and realistic portrayal of a teenager and her mother is even better. A solid YA novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
October 2, 2020
I loved this book.
I loved, loved, loved this book. I would peel my own soul out of my body and throw it into the ocean as some grand sacrifice if it meant that I could magically make this book longer or summon the sequels into my hands right now. I have a love/hate relationship with books like this because when I fall in love, I feel cheated and miffed and extremely inclined to offer a kidney to the author if it means getting another hit right this second. And I only have two of them in a world full of good books and fantastic authors.
But.
I really, truly, wholeheartedly adored this book in all of it’s dark, disgusting, cruel nature.
I don’t even know how to explain this book. I’m not even sure I want to try? It’s a complex thing with so many layers, it’s taken me two hours since I finished it to fully lay them out in a way that I can comprehend them in their entirety and even then. Even then.
It’s a book about two messed up kids with a hunger inside of them. A physcian's assistant and an assassin born to die protecting the Princess of the Kingdom of Ascot who views him as her favorite toy. In the strangest of ways, these two opposites are cut from the same stone and strangely fit together, and may the deities help anybody who tries to separate them from one another. Even if that somebody is the assassin himself. The physician's assistant is able, willing, and capable of burning down the whole damn world to get what she wants, which is to possess to assassin in his entirety, even if he belongs to the Princess and the hero.
The writing is a dark and luscious and all-consuming thing, fully intended to bite. The friendship is positively obsessive and lovely in the cruelest of ways (half a loving friendship and half a morbid toxicity, honestly). Which, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am entirely aware the way the main character views and treats the boy is problematic. Their friendship—as fickle as it was throughout—isn’t really your sugar-sweet thing where they balance each other out in any soft way, more so that there is a deep, intimate, borderline sensual understanding and familiarity when they talk to each other that isn't present with any other character. It’s dark and it has teeth, but there was an underlying sense of longing. They fit together.
I’m also not sure what it says about me when I say that I was startled into laughter so suddenly at one point (after having numerous moments of smiling in amusement), I had to cover my face. So at least, if you choose to indulge this one, I can humor you by saying it is so very witty. As Tor.com so eloquently put it, this book has “Comedy With Approximately As Much Levity As The Depths of the Ocean”. (Granted they also advertised this book as Not Technically slavery and Technically A Love Story so take that as you will. (It’s not slavery, I promise. That one was right.) (I would only ever somewhat argue over the High Quality Sociopath Love pitch, but we won’t go there right now.))
And this review is not actually a review and it feels like I’ve been keysmashing this entire time. Like it would probably make more sense if I did just wipe this all out and leave it as LKJHDGKJSDHG instead of trying to continue to put any of my thoughts and feelings into something articulate! Maybe I should just erase everything and do that anyway and let people take my 5 star rating and aggressive keyboard banging as they will, too!
But, nevertheless, since we’re already here.
If you’re squeamish, I really don’t recommend this one because there are detailed descriptions of certain gory things, but if you’re not and in the mood to witness a wicked, so very wicked, obsessive friendship and two idiots more or less tear down the laws of physics whilst maintaining a familiar gay pining for the exact same person, I would definitely pay you to read this. Not with a kidney because I really have no more to spare, but perhaps with like, a quarter. You can buy a gumball with that.
Rep: queer (mlm/asexual) mc, MH (BPD), women-in-stem, female badasses over 30.
Content warnings: heavy medical gore, murder, uncomfortable sex scene with dubcon, generational indented servitude.
I loved, loved, loved this book. I would peel my own soul out of my body and throw it into the ocean as some grand sacrifice if it meant that I could magically make this book longer or summon the sequels into my hands right now. I have a love/hate relationship with books like this because when I fall in love, I feel cheated and miffed and extremely inclined to offer a kidney to the author if it means getting another hit right this second. And I only have two of them in a world full of good books and fantastic authors.
But.
I really, truly, wholeheartedly adored this book in all of it’s dark, disgusting, cruel nature.
I don’t even know how to explain this book. I’m not even sure I want to try? It’s a complex thing with so many layers, it’s taken me two hours since I finished it to fully lay them out in a way that I can comprehend them in their entirety and even then. Even then.
It’s a book about two messed up kids with a hunger inside of them. A physcian's assistant and an assassin born to die protecting the Princess of the Kingdom of Ascot who views him as her favorite toy. In the strangest of ways, these two opposites are cut from the same stone and strangely fit together, and may the deities help anybody who tries to separate them from one another. Even if that somebody is the assassin himself. The physician's assistant is able, willing, and capable of burning down the whole damn world to get what she wants, which is to possess to assassin in his entirety, even if he belongs to the Princess and the hero.
The writing is a dark and luscious and all-consuming thing, fully intended to bite. The friendship is positively obsessive and lovely in the cruelest of ways (half a loving friendship and half a morbid toxicity, honestly). Which, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am entirely aware the way the main character views and treats the boy is problematic. Their friendship—as fickle as it was throughout—isn’t really your sugar-sweet thing where they balance each other out in any soft way, more so that there is a deep, intimate, borderline sensual understanding and familiarity when they talk to each other that isn't present with any other character. It’s dark and it has teeth, but there was an underlying sense of longing. They fit together.
I’m also not sure what it says about me when I say that I was startled into laughter so suddenly at one point (after having numerous moments of smiling in amusement), I had to cover my face. So at least, if you choose to indulge this one, I can humor you by saying it is so very witty. As Tor.com so eloquently put it, this book has “Comedy With Approximately As Much Levity As The Depths of the Ocean”. (Granted they also advertised this book as Not Technically slavery and Technically A Love Story so take that as you will. (It’s not slavery, I promise. That one was right.) (I would only ever somewhat argue over the High Quality Sociopath Love pitch, but we won’t go there right now.))
And this review is not actually a review and it feels like I’ve been keysmashing this entire time. Like it would probably make more sense if I did just wipe this all out and leave it as LKJHDGKJSDHG instead of trying to continue to put any of my thoughts and feelings into something articulate! Maybe I should just erase everything and do that anyway and let people take my 5 star rating and aggressive keyboard banging as they will, too!
But, nevertheless, since we’re already here.
If you’re squeamish, I really don’t recommend this one because there are detailed descriptions of certain gory things, but if you’re not and in the mood to witness a wicked, so very wicked, obsessive friendship and two idiots more or less tear down the laws of physics whilst maintaining a familiar gay pining for the exact same person, I would definitely pay you to read this. Not with a kidney because I really have no more to spare, but perhaps with like, a quarter. You can buy a gumball with that.
Rep: queer (mlm/asexual) mc, MH (BPD), women-in-stem, female badasses over 30.
Content warnings: heavy medical gore, murder, uncomfortable sex scene with dubcon, generational indented servitude.
November 19, 2020
Trigger and Content Warnings: horror, gore, violence, self-harm, attempted suicide, human euthanasia, grief depiction, murder, death of a minor, brief mention of unwanted touching, dubious consent, graphic medical scenes, defilement of a corpse, and magical compulsion.
"Maybe the truth was that sometimes in life, it is easier to wade through the blood of your enemies than bathe in the tears of your friends."
Oh, this review is going to be a wild ride. The range of things I feel for this book is very unreal. Listen, the atmosphere of this? The description? The writing? The premise? The dark, dry wit? I couldn’t get enough. Dare I even say close to perfect? And the plot had me so very invested in every single way. But this actual story and it's gritty realism, the main character with her possessive, spoiled behavior and what must be the worst case of an unmediated bipolar disorder in fiction? The Lord might be testing me. The emotional whiplash I felt while reading this was a full experience and deserves a star rating of its own, truly.
When you open this book for the first time, the prologue will transport you to a fashionable beachfront city in a late Victorian-esq type fantasy world, where a civil war in the neighboring power Kingdom of Ascot has left them somewhat cut off from the rest of the world and up and coming social trends, leaving the hooity, snobby residents to open their arms and embrace any old scam artist who rocks up to the city gates peddling what they claim to be the latest fashion trend from the mainland. Enter Doctor Kira Escamilla, unarguably the best fictional mother since Lorelai Gilmore and arguably one of the best developed female characters of the last decade, to put everybody straight about the dangers of sticking bundles of herbs up your vajayjay. Honestly, the prologue is perhaps the best 'chapter' of the entire book, and points out what was perhaps a bad move on GPM's part. It's written from a third person perspective with the main character (Kilco) being the all seeing narrator, where the rest of the book is written in first, and honestly, nobody needs to be in Kilco's head that much. Hell, Kilco probably shouldn't be in Kilco's head that much without some serious therapy and strong anti-depressives.
"Chapter one: Osmophobia - fear of bad smells."
One of the ingenious features of this book is the chapter titles. They are each named a phobia that give you some clue to what you can expect from the chapter you're about to read. Even during the more stale portions of the book, it's fun to keep reading just to try and identify why the chapter has been named which phobia, and that in itself get's a half-star all of its own in my rating.
The story itself actually takes place (no shock) in Ascot, where Kira and Kilco are now working with the outcasted Princess as her militaries head physician and physician's assistant, but because weeks, possibly months, have passed at this point, Kilco eventually starts spiralling down into the depths of mania and starts neglecting her duties to hang around in a barn playing poker with drunk soldiers and shoplifting from merchant caravan's (our girl is a total kleptomaniac). She also develops a big lesbian crush on Ilana, the super sexy leader of a band of ostracized shadow assassins called the Ilvarjo who are pretty much enslaved to the Royal family, but because Ilana is a thirty-something year old married woman who kills beef men for a living she has no interest in having any form of relationship with this gangly sixteen year old girl and doesn't give her the time of day. Not even a second. But she still hangs around outside the Ilvarjo compound pretty much all the time in hopes of catch a glimpse of Mrs sexy shadow killer with the magic blonde hair.
This will become important and kinda weird later because...
Again, I do not want to give much away, because I think I very much benefited from not reading the synopsis of this story, but basically because Kilco can't have Ilana, her attention eventually turns onto her son, Ilya, who is a very young, very innocent(you know, despite the whole being an assassin thing) boy with limited experience interacting with anybody outside of his shadow cult and has been been brainwashed into being a living doll for the Princess his entire life, so when mommy leaves camp and Ilya is left entirely to Kilco's mercy, she makes his life a living hell. Without a doubt, my favorite part of this book is truly how much Kilco and Ilya act as teenagers, and teenagers aren't always tactful and honest.
"So reminiscent of those fancy porcelain people rich ladies displayed on their mantels."
I really loved the depiction of racial fetishism and casual bigotry in this book. I can't name another book that is brave enough to present its main characters in this way. Everything about Ilya becomes supremely fetished, from his accent, to the way he eats and drinks, to even the scar he has on his eye. And not just by Kilco, though because we're reading from a 1st person perspective we see it most clearly. It gets to such an extreme point that she starts crossing some pretty extreme personal boundaries and when Ilya gently starts distancing himself from her, she has the tantrum to end all tantrums, which ultimately results in one of the worst betrayals I've read in a long time. All because she's incapable of truly seeing him as a person with thoughts, feelings and wants of his own, and not simply a pet alive soley for her pleasure.
I also did really enjoy the gay romance and I think if you are looking to indulge in a new OTP that will remind you of the early 2000's then you are in luck with this one! I did enjoy Ilya a lot more when he was with Pogue for the most part, but I feel like the central plot (and Pogue being stupid and horny) was the downfall of this romantic suplot. It's hard to get that satisfaction when the love interests are only in the same room for 15% of the book. Both spend more time with Kilco on page than they do with each other. That's why this book would've been better in third person. I kept wishing Kilco would piss off a little sooner and it made the reading experience a bit annoying. Also, she gets upset at the strangest things, and both boys tolerate her tantrums for no reason. I truly feel like her character was mostly used to move the book along conveniently instead of actually making her feel like a main character with depth and identity.
Also, even though he is obviously a fan favorite, I’m just going to say it - Pierous is one of the most infuriating characters I’ve read about all 2020. I understand he is written to look be this cool and quirky play on the wise old wizard who saves the day trope, but I truly could not stand him or his flamboyant inability to take anything seriously. Like, Pierous, people are dead. Calm down.
I will also say that I felt like so many big events in this book kind of happened just for (hopefully) set ups for the next installments. I’m all for setting up things in early books, but it just kind of feels bad when absolutely nothing happens regarding these big events after the scene has ended. I feel like if this book felt more cohesive throughout, instead of just setting up for what is to come, I would have gotten so much of a higher rating from me, but I have to rate and review off the material that is given to me and it made for a bit of an infuriating reading experience.
"Death is a cruel master. It never considers who is young, needed, wanted or loved."
Overall, I couldn’t put this book down. Truly. And I would bet you a great sum of money that I will also pick up the next one, because this book ended on a very perfect cliffhanger set up that I greedily want to know everything about. This book really did give me nostalgic feels for some reason, it made me very hungry most of the time, and it made me truly never want to put it down. The writing is so easily consumable, and I really did fall in love with the setting and plot set up. I only wish it felt a little bit more like a full story and not just a set up book. I still predict that this book will do really well, and I think most people will have a very good reading experience with this.
"Maybe the truth was that sometimes in life, it is easier to wade through the blood of your enemies than bathe in the tears of your friends."
Oh, this review is going to be a wild ride. The range of things I feel for this book is very unreal. Listen, the atmosphere of this? The description? The writing? The premise? The dark, dry wit? I couldn’t get enough. Dare I even say close to perfect? And the plot had me so very invested in every single way. But this actual story and it's gritty realism, the main character with her possessive, spoiled behavior and what must be the worst case of an unmediated bipolar disorder in fiction? The Lord might be testing me. The emotional whiplash I felt while reading this was a full experience and deserves a star rating of its own, truly.
When you open this book for the first time, the prologue will transport you to a fashionable beachfront city in a late Victorian-esq type fantasy world, where a civil war in the neighboring power Kingdom of Ascot has left them somewhat cut off from the rest of the world and up and coming social trends, leaving the hooity, snobby residents to open their arms and embrace any old scam artist who rocks up to the city gates peddling what they claim to be the latest fashion trend from the mainland. Enter Doctor Kira Escamilla, unarguably the best fictional mother since Lorelai Gilmore and arguably one of the best developed female characters of the last decade, to put everybody straight about the dangers of sticking bundles of herbs up your vajayjay. Honestly, the prologue is perhaps the best 'chapter' of the entire book, and points out what was perhaps a bad move on GPM's part. It's written from a third person perspective with the main character (Kilco) being the all seeing narrator, where the rest of the book is written in first, and honestly, nobody needs to be in Kilco's head that much. Hell, Kilco probably shouldn't be in Kilco's head that much without some serious therapy and strong anti-depressives.
"Chapter one: Osmophobia - fear of bad smells."
One of the ingenious features of this book is the chapter titles. They are each named a phobia that give you some clue to what you can expect from the chapter you're about to read. Even during the more stale portions of the book, it's fun to keep reading just to try and identify why the chapter has been named which phobia, and that in itself get's a half-star all of its own in my rating.
The story itself actually takes place (no shock) in Ascot, where Kira and Kilco are now working with the outcasted Princess as her militaries head physician and physician's assistant, but because weeks, possibly months, have passed at this point, Kilco eventually starts spiralling down into the depths of mania and starts neglecting her duties to hang around in a barn playing poker with drunk soldiers and shoplifting from merchant caravan's (our girl is a total kleptomaniac). She also develops a big lesbian crush on Ilana, the super sexy leader of a band of ostracized shadow assassins called the Ilvarjo who are pretty much enslaved to the Royal family, but because Ilana is a thirty-something year old married woman who kills beef men for a living she has no interest in having any form of relationship with this gangly sixteen year old girl and doesn't give her the time of day. Not even a second. But she still hangs around outside the Ilvarjo compound pretty much all the time in hopes of catch a glimpse of Mrs sexy shadow killer with the magic blonde hair.
This will become important and kinda weird later because...
Again, I do not want to give much away, because I think I very much benefited from not reading the synopsis of this story, but basically because Kilco can't have Ilana, her attention eventually turns onto her son, Ilya, who is a very young, very innocent(you know, despite the whole being an assassin thing) boy with limited experience interacting with anybody outside of his shadow cult and has been been brainwashed into being a living doll for the Princess his entire life, so when mommy leaves camp and Ilya is left entirely to Kilco's mercy, she makes his life a living hell. Without a doubt, my favorite part of this book is truly how much Kilco and Ilya act as teenagers, and teenagers aren't always tactful and honest.
"So reminiscent of those fancy porcelain people rich ladies displayed on their mantels."
I really loved the depiction of racial fetishism and casual bigotry in this book. I can't name another book that is brave enough to present its main characters in this way. Everything about Ilya becomes supremely fetished, from his accent, to the way he eats and drinks, to even the scar he has on his eye. And not just by Kilco, though because we're reading from a 1st person perspective we see it most clearly. It gets to such an extreme point that she starts crossing some pretty extreme personal boundaries and when Ilya gently starts distancing himself from her, she has the tantrum to end all tantrums, which ultimately results in one of the worst betrayals I've read in a long time. All because she's incapable of truly seeing him as a person with thoughts, feelings and wants of his own, and not simply a pet alive soley for her pleasure.
I also did really enjoy the gay romance and I think if you are looking to indulge in a new OTP that will remind you of the early 2000's then you are in luck with this one! I did enjoy Ilya a lot more when he was with Pogue for the most part, but I feel like the central plot (and Pogue being stupid and horny) was the downfall of this romantic suplot. It's hard to get that satisfaction when the love interests are only in the same room for 15% of the book. Both spend more time with Kilco on page than they do with each other. That's why this book would've been better in third person. I kept wishing Kilco would piss off a little sooner and it made the reading experience a bit annoying. Also, she gets upset at the strangest things, and both boys tolerate her tantrums for no reason. I truly feel like her character was mostly used to move the book along conveniently instead of actually making her feel like a main character with depth and identity.
Also, even though he is obviously a fan favorite, I’m just going to say it - Pierous is one of the most infuriating characters I’ve read about all 2020. I understand he is written to look be this cool and quirky play on the wise old wizard who saves the day trope, but I truly could not stand him or his flamboyant inability to take anything seriously. Like, Pierous, people are dead. Calm down.
I will also say that I felt like so many big events in this book kind of happened just for (hopefully) set ups for the next installments. I’m all for setting up things in early books, but it just kind of feels bad when absolutely nothing happens regarding these big events after the scene has ended. I feel like if this book felt more cohesive throughout, instead of just setting up for what is to come, I would have gotten so much of a higher rating from me, but I have to rate and review off the material that is given to me and it made for a bit of an infuriating reading experience.
"Death is a cruel master. It never considers who is young, needed, wanted or loved."
Overall, I couldn’t put this book down. Truly. And I would bet you a great sum of money that I will also pick up the next one, because this book ended on a very perfect cliffhanger set up that I greedily want to know everything about. This book really did give me nostalgic feels for some reason, it made me very hungry most of the time, and it made me truly never want to put it down. The writing is so easily consumable, and I really did fall in love with the setting and plot set up. I only wish it felt a little bit more like a full story and not just a set up book. I still predict that this book will do really well, and I think most people will have a very good reading experience with this.
August 26, 2020
An enjoyable book with unexpected themes.
Only given four stars because I think it has potential to be a very decisive, if not controversial, book. Lots of its content is unexpected, but interesting and well handled by the author. I especially like how the slavery theme is handled, and how it is viewed (or not viewed) by Kilco and others. A realistic and brave angle that I've not seen before. It's very easy just to give main characters modern day values, even if they don't suit the time period (or world, as is the case here. Remnants of Atonement is set in its own unique time period), but it's much more fascinating to read how even 'modern', progressive characters can get things wrong.
If you are someone who likes to rip a book apart to look at the psychological reasonings and meanings of the story, this is a good one for you. If you're someone wanting a more lighter read, well, it's still an enjoyable read, with well developed characters and humor, just be aware of those heavier scenes. A couple of chapters in the middle might make you acutely uncomfortable if you're of a more sensitive nature. Nothing particularly graphic, just some heavy themes and narriation that might put you in a position you're not used to/expect to find yourself reading if all you really read is YA, so just be warned about that.
4.5/5 stars.
Only given four stars because I think it has potential to be a very decisive, if not controversial, book. Lots of its content is unexpected, but interesting and well handled by the author. I especially like how the slavery theme is handled, and how it is viewed (or not viewed) by Kilco and others. A realistic and brave angle that I've not seen before. It's very easy just to give main characters modern day values, even if they don't suit the time period (or world, as is the case here. Remnants of Atonement is set in its own unique time period), but it's much more fascinating to read how even 'modern', progressive characters can get things wrong.
If you are someone who likes to rip a book apart to look at the psychological reasonings and meanings of the story, this is a good one for you. If you're someone wanting a more lighter read, well, it's still an enjoyable read, with well developed characters and humor, just be aware of those heavier scenes. A couple of chapters in the middle might make you acutely uncomfortable if you're of a more sensitive nature. Nothing particularly graphic, just some heavy themes and narriation that might put you in a position you're not used to/expect to find yourself reading if all you really read is YA, so just be warned about that.
4.5/5 stars.
July 15, 2020
Very simple plot with very unique characters and themes. Feels almost too real at times. Like you're reading a biography that has fallen through the cracks from an alternate world/the future. It's a story set in a unique mystical world that deals with very real, very raw, very uncomfortable teenage emotions and experiences that most people don't like to acknowledge. The main character has a very interesting voice and mind, not like any that I've ever read before. I don't think this book should really be shelved as YA because it deals with many heavy and unexpected themes that will be confronting for some younger readers (some older ones too), but it certainly wouldn't hurt teenagers to read it because the author captures the voice so authentically of a young, insecure and unhappy teenage girl.
Be warned, it is a graphic story in places. Not gratitous GOT style, but realistically described injuries and medical scenes. Another reviewer mentioned a rape scene; there is no rape scene but there is an emotionally umcomfortable sex scene. That itself is not explicit in any way, keeps everything the main character's internal dialogue, and it's very easy to miss if you blink, but it is uncomfortable due to the fact it is in no way a romantic or pleasurable scene.
Be warned, it is a graphic story in places. Not gratitous GOT style, but realistically described injuries and medical scenes. Another reviewer mentioned a rape scene; there is no rape scene but there is an emotionally umcomfortable sex scene. That itself is not explicit in any way, keeps everything the main character's internal dialogue, and it's very easy to miss if you blink, but it is uncomfortable due to the fact it is in no way a romantic or pleasurable scene.
July 11, 2020
I requested this book because of the interesting plot and beautiful cover. It’s a fascinating read with a quite annoying main character, Kilco. Even that it’s a young adult book, it does contains elements and emotions which aren’t typical for this genre. I liked that the chapters were named after different phobias. G. P. McKenna writing style is absolutely outstanding and makes this read more enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley for the free copy.
Thank you NetGalley for the free copy.
August 11, 2020
Good characters, good world, great atmosphere, lgbtq+ rep and parental involvement.
Read
October 5, 2020I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley.
DNF’ed.
I think I knew it after the first chapter that I wasn’t going to finish this.
It’s super confusing. There is no world-building, and it felt like the writing was all over the places. Jumpy and without logic (or I dare say editing?).
I didn’t feel for the character or understand enough what was going on and so I moved on.
DNF’ed.
I think I knew it after the first chapter that I wasn’t going to finish this.
It’s super confusing. There is no world-building, and it felt like the writing was all over the places. Jumpy and without logic (or I dare say editing?).
I didn’t feel for the character or understand enough what was going on and so I moved on.
October 2, 2020
I picked this book up on a whim and started reading a few pages, figuring I would check it out to see if I needed to place it higher on my priority list. Instead of a few pages, I read 1/3 of the book.
I’ll be blunt here; this will not be a long review. It doesn’t need to be. This is a strong contender for my favorite book of the year. This is a grim, darkly humored and mischievous YA book… I loved every page of it. This is a book with a severely mentally ill teenage girl as the main protagonist. An actual mentally ill teenage girl, not one of these 'isn't anxiety just an adorable quirk' ones that have been springing up in YA of late. There is nothing pretty or dainty about this protagonists MH problems (which I've seen suggested is likely to be borderline personality disorder, and I'm inclined to believe), and in fact, it has a causes her to do something ridiculousley impulsive and irrational that brings about the rest of the plot. There is a traditional hero in the form of Pogue, but there’s about as much humor in his attempts to be heroic as there are corpses. That is to say a lot of bodies, and a great deal of humor.
Oh, oh my yes.
The writing here is beautiful, taking modern elements and infusing them with the poetic feel of a classic gothic. There were paragraphs I read and then reread aloud savoring the flow of them. The words flow together beautifully even when describing things that should never be described as beautiful.
It also manages to pull off something that few fantasy authors have the guts to try anymore. It offers you a fully developed world but doesn’t spell out all the details. It shows you the world but it doesn’t fully tell you how it works. The main character knows, you don't have too. You are required to take in what little she's willing to tell you and piece it together with what we’re shown. A few myths may be presented here, a line of political exposition there, but it is up to you to connect the dots, and if you don’t bother, you will be left behind and the entire book will become confusing. It will not hold your hand through the world building, but it is a world worth piecing together.
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. For anyone who isn’t afraid of a truly grim horror/fantasy that isn’t afraid to give you wink and a nudge as it stabs you as if to ask if you got the joke… please do yourself a favor and give it a shot. A rare full 5/5 stars.
I’ll be blunt here; this will not be a long review. It doesn’t need to be. This is a strong contender for my favorite book of the year. This is a grim, darkly humored and mischievous YA book… I loved every page of it. This is a book with a severely mentally ill teenage girl as the main protagonist. An actual mentally ill teenage girl, not one of these 'isn't anxiety just an adorable quirk' ones that have been springing up in YA of late. There is nothing pretty or dainty about this protagonists MH problems (which I've seen suggested is likely to be borderline personality disorder, and I'm inclined to believe), and in fact, it has a causes her to do something ridiculousley impulsive and irrational that brings about the rest of the plot. There is a traditional hero in the form of Pogue, but there’s about as much humor in his attempts to be heroic as there are corpses. That is to say a lot of bodies, and a great deal of humor.
Oh, oh my yes.
The writing here is beautiful, taking modern elements and infusing them with the poetic feel of a classic gothic. There were paragraphs I read and then reread aloud savoring the flow of them. The words flow together beautifully even when describing things that should never be described as beautiful.
It also manages to pull off something that few fantasy authors have the guts to try anymore. It offers you a fully developed world but doesn’t spell out all the details. It shows you the world but it doesn’t fully tell you how it works. The main character knows, you don't have too. You are required to take in what little she's willing to tell you and piece it together with what we’re shown. A few myths may be presented here, a line of political exposition there, but it is up to you to connect the dots, and if you don’t bother, you will be left behind and the entire book will become confusing. It will not hold your hand through the world building, but it is a world worth piecing together.
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely. For anyone who isn’t afraid of a truly grim horror/fantasy that isn’t afraid to give you wink and a nudge as it stabs you as if to ask if you got the joke… please do yourself a favor and give it a shot. A rare full 5/5 stars.
October 5, 2020
Once I started the book I had to finish it in one sitting!!!
My favorite part of the book though is the chapter titles!!!! I love how the chapter titles are different types of phobias!!!
My favorite part of the book though is the chapter titles!!!! I love how the chapter titles are different types of phobias!!!
October 24, 2020
Remnants of Atonement
GP McKenna
One of the most annoying things about YA fantasy is that its teenage heroes often seem like tiny, serious adults in disguise. They’re preternaturally mature orphans who end up saving the world, usually with grave mien and occasionally with extraordinary fighting talent. They parent themselves with grace, and their teenage crushes turn into their lifelong soulmates.
And then there’s Kilco.
Within the first few chapters of “Remnants of Atonement”, Kilco establishes herself as an insufferable, offensive, sarcastic, self-absorbed brat. In other words, a teenager. Forget saving the world, Kilco can barely be trusted to show up for the afternoon shift at the hospital where she works as an assistant to her mother, the indomitable Kira Escamilla, a physician whose bedside manner is only steps above that of Dr. Gregory House.
The story begins when Kira and Kilco decamp for the front to assist the Princess of neighboring Ascot in her rebellion against a usurper. Whatever. The novel pays about as much attention to politics as the average teenager would. Instead, Kilco ditches her duties to stumble into the tent of Pogue, a brawny teenaged warrior with “cheekbones that defied gravity.” Seriously, he’s basically Brad Pitt in “Troy.” Pogue is that blue-eyed boy whom everyone loves – the world is just nicer to him, Kilco realizes – which makes him attractive enough to Kilco that it’s worth restricting herself to the “simple language” that Pogue best understands. He isn’t stupid, exactly, but “once you hit four syllables, you might as well start speaking in the old tongue.” Still, he’s got a heart of gold his iron muscles. No one’s perfect, right?
Enter Pogue’s bff, fighting companion, and foil, Ilya. A self-described “virgin who can read”, the 15-year-old scarlet-eyed assassin from a clan known as the Ilvarjo is every manga-loving girl’s imaginary boyfriend. He’s slim and pale and graceful and shy and we’re just waiting for him to love us. Unfortunately, in a twist of fate that the aforementioned teenage girls will entirely understand, it turns out Ilya and Pogue like each other a lot more than they like Kilco. (She does spend the entire novel stumbling about in the same blood, gore and guts-soaked dress.) Still, in the words of Never Have I Ever, another teen rom-com, it’s less of a love triangle and more of “a line and a dot.”
Because the term “third wheel” doesn’t exist in this universe, Kilco tags along on Ilya and Pogue’s dates until they eventually accept her as a friend. Tragedy, hijinks, a relatably terrible sex scene and undignified barfing ensue, but the heart of this story is the fun, sweet, fond relationship between the three main characters who are doing a pretty shit job of everything except for caring about each other. And even that is not their forte.
Yes, Kilco’s a nightmare, but she’s funny as hell: “violence disguised as bedside manner was a privilege reserved only for supervising physicians,” she muses, fighting the urge to murder a troublesome patient. Or “like caring for her loin fruit was my life’s greatest privilege” of one ungrateful patient’s parent. She’s also nicknamed her arm muscles the “twiglets.” Whatever the opposite of Special Snowflake syndrome is, Kilco has it. She is well aware that she has zero outstanding talents, no looks to speak of, terrible dress sense, a bad attitude, and the closest she can get to a boyfriend is a dude who wants to use her to throw his possibly-homophobic mother off the scent. Talk about the hero we deserve. And yet, somewhere between the self-effacing humor and the incessant whining about how the Deities hate her, Kilco offers a few nuggets of wisdom: “Rolling in the blood of your enemies was preferable to swimming in the tears of your friends,” for example. Kilco, c’est moi.
That said, there are downsides to this novel: for starters, there are some awkward, awkward turns of phrase. Awkward enough that I began to wonder if maybe the entire text had been fed through Google Translate a time or two. “You could rest assured that Kirk would not only know every detail but had scientifically analysed them three times over by lunchtime,” Kilco observes about one character. Huh? Is there a verb missing in there, or possibly a tense that went somehow awry? Elsewhere: “the orb flew off course into a tree, enlightening it in flames.” Really? That is a very literal use of the term “enlighten.” The pacing could be more consistent. The story jerks from one semi-climax to the next, with some fallow ground in between.
If the teenagers feel deeply authentic, the adults are totally inexplicable. Ilya and the rest of the Ilvarjo feel a deep loyalty to a Princess who seems like a sadistic jerk. Ilya’s mother is a distant succubus. Even Kira seems to yo-yo between caring for her daughter and treating her like an unwelcome stranger. If their motivations seem opaque and their characters inconsistent, one could also argue that’s what adult society looks like to kids.
So, if some of the sentences take a few seconds to decipher, it’s worth it. This is a fun, funny story whose heroine genuinely grabbed me and whose emotional dramas I feel invested in. There are two more novels coming in short succession. I want to know: do Pogue and Ilya ever get to tell their parents about their relationship? What horrible thing happened in Kilco’s past? Do they all live happily ever after? Does anyone live happily ever after, or even live? This is a great book that, much like its heroine, benefits from not taking itself too seriously.
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GP McKenna
One of the most annoying things about YA fantasy is that its teenage heroes often seem like tiny, serious adults in disguise. They’re preternaturally mature orphans who end up saving the world, usually with grave mien and occasionally with extraordinary fighting talent. They parent themselves with grace, and their teenage crushes turn into their lifelong soulmates.
And then there’s Kilco.
Within the first few chapters of “Remnants of Atonement”, Kilco establishes herself as an insufferable, offensive, sarcastic, self-absorbed brat. In other words, a teenager. Forget saving the world, Kilco can barely be trusted to show up for the afternoon shift at the hospital where she works as an assistant to her mother, the indomitable Kira Escamilla, a physician whose bedside manner is only steps above that of Dr. Gregory House.
The story begins when Kira and Kilco decamp for the front to assist the Princess of neighboring Ascot in her rebellion against a usurper. Whatever. The novel pays about as much attention to politics as the average teenager would. Instead, Kilco ditches her duties to stumble into the tent of Pogue, a brawny teenaged warrior with “cheekbones that defied gravity.” Seriously, he’s basically Brad Pitt in “Troy.” Pogue is that blue-eyed boy whom everyone loves – the world is just nicer to him, Kilco realizes – which makes him attractive enough to Kilco that it’s worth restricting herself to the “simple language” that Pogue best understands. He isn’t stupid, exactly, but “once you hit four syllables, you might as well start speaking in the old tongue.” Still, he’s got a heart of gold his iron muscles. No one’s perfect, right?
Enter Pogue’s bff, fighting companion, and foil, Ilya. A self-described “virgin who can read”, the 15-year-old scarlet-eyed assassin from a clan known as the Ilvarjo is every manga-loving girl’s imaginary boyfriend. He’s slim and pale and graceful and shy and we’re just waiting for him to love us. Unfortunately, in a twist of fate that the aforementioned teenage girls will entirely understand, it turns out Ilya and Pogue like each other a lot more than they like Kilco. (She does spend the entire novel stumbling about in the same blood, gore and guts-soaked dress.) Still, in the words of Never Have I Ever, another teen rom-com, it’s less of a love triangle and more of “a line and a dot.”
Because the term “third wheel” doesn’t exist in this universe, Kilco tags along on Ilya and Pogue’s dates until they eventually accept her as a friend. Tragedy, hijinks, a relatably terrible sex scene and undignified barfing ensue, but the heart of this story is the fun, sweet, fond relationship between the three main characters who are doing a pretty shit job of everything except for caring about each other. And even that is not their forte.
Yes, Kilco’s a nightmare, but she’s funny as hell: “violence disguised as bedside manner was a privilege reserved only for supervising physicians,” she muses, fighting the urge to murder a troublesome patient. Or “like caring for her loin fruit was my life’s greatest privilege” of one ungrateful patient’s parent. She’s also nicknamed her arm muscles the “twiglets.” Whatever the opposite of Special Snowflake syndrome is, Kilco has it. She is well aware that she has zero outstanding talents, no looks to speak of, terrible dress sense, a bad attitude, and the closest she can get to a boyfriend is a dude who wants to use her to throw his possibly-homophobic mother off the scent. Talk about the hero we deserve. And yet, somewhere between the self-effacing humor and the incessant whining about how the Deities hate her, Kilco offers a few nuggets of wisdom: “Rolling in the blood of your enemies was preferable to swimming in the tears of your friends,” for example. Kilco, c’est moi.
That said, there are downsides to this novel: for starters, there are some awkward, awkward turns of phrase. Awkward enough that I began to wonder if maybe the entire text had been fed through Google Translate a time or two. “You could rest assured that Kirk would not only know every detail but had scientifically analysed them three times over by lunchtime,” Kilco observes about one character. Huh? Is there a verb missing in there, or possibly a tense that went somehow awry? Elsewhere: “the orb flew off course into a tree, enlightening it in flames.” Really? That is a very literal use of the term “enlighten.” The pacing could be more consistent. The story jerks from one semi-climax to the next, with some fallow ground in between.
If the teenagers feel deeply authentic, the adults are totally inexplicable. Ilya and the rest of the Ilvarjo feel a deep loyalty to a Princess who seems like a sadistic jerk. Ilya’s mother is a distant succubus. Even Kira seems to yo-yo between caring for her daughter and treating her like an unwelcome stranger. If their motivations seem opaque and their characters inconsistent, one could also argue that’s what adult society looks like to kids.
So, if some of the sentences take a few seconds to decipher, it’s worth it. This is a fun, funny story whose heroine genuinely grabbed me and whose emotional dramas I feel invested in. There are two more novels coming in short succession. I want to know: do Pogue and Ilya ever get to tell their parents about their relationship? What horrible thing happened in Kilco’s past? Do they all live happily ever after? Does anyone live happily ever after, or even live? This is a great book that, much like its heroine, benefits from not taking itself too seriously.
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dnf
February 11, 2023I will not rate this book, but still will be glad to share some of my thoughts about it.
This story follows Kilco, the daughter of a renowned doctor who works in her mother's infirmary. She is young and edgy but wants to do good. With her mother she moves to work in a war camp and soon finds herself entangled in different dark mysteries and complicated relationships with various extraordinary people.
It sounds interesting and promising, also this book sets an absurd and a little bit harsh mood, which I usually like. But it sadly didn't work for me this time.
Let's start with the things I enjoyed and that were engaging and intriguing.
Every chapter starts with the name of some phobia - and then in some way, it plays out inside the chapter's events. A nice detail.
The main character and her mother are doctors and a lot of events happen inside the infirmary. I think it's an interesting point of view for the book and it can show a lot of details about the war, people's behavior, and strengths/weaknesses.
The setting itself seems rather fresh and fascinating with a lot of things to explore
The main character is an unreliable narrator, so you need to pay attention - many things can be not what it seems
After it, we can follow to things that didn't work for me
Book's structure. The plot starts only at 50% point and it's really hard to stay focused and interested in events by this point.
Before it, the book mostly follows different turns in our main character's relationships and sometimes it feels repetitive and excessive.
And after the 50% mark, I felt like all the plot I wanted in the first half of the book was delivered to me in one concentrated wave. I felt confused, for me it was really hard to understand all the tricky details at one moment.
Humor didn't work for me. It's a subjective thing, so this is on me.
All in all, I honestly would recommend another revision to this book. It just needs a more solid plot as a carcass for the story from the beginning. I'm sure all the best things about it would shine much brighter if it had a leading force.
I'm grateful to Netgalley and the publisher Andraharts Publications for providing me with this free advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
This story follows Kilco, the daughter of a renowned doctor who works in her mother's infirmary. She is young and edgy but wants to do good. With her mother she moves to work in a war camp and soon finds herself entangled in different dark mysteries and complicated relationships with various extraordinary people.
It sounds interesting and promising, also this book sets an absurd and a little bit harsh mood, which I usually like. But it sadly didn't work for me this time.
Let's start with the things I enjoyed and that were engaging and intriguing.
Every chapter starts with the name of some phobia - and then in some way, it plays out inside the chapter's events. A nice detail.
The main character and her mother are doctors and a lot of events happen inside the infirmary. I think it's an interesting point of view for the book and it can show a lot of details about the war, people's behavior, and strengths/weaknesses.
The setting itself seems rather fresh and fascinating with a lot of things to explore
The main character is an unreliable narrator, so you need to pay attention - many things can be not what it seems
After it, we can follow to things that didn't work for me
Book's structure. The plot starts only at 50% point and it's really hard to stay focused and interested in events by this point.
Before it, the book mostly follows different turns in our main character's relationships and sometimes it feels repetitive and excessive.
And after the 50% mark, I felt like all the plot I wanted in the first half of the book was delivered to me in one concentrated wave. I felt confused, for me it was really hard to understand all the tricky details at one moment.
Humor didn't work for me. It's a subjective thing, so this is on me.
All in all, I honestly would recommend another revision to this book. It just needs a more solid plot as a carcass for the story from the beginning. I'm sure all the best things about it would shine much brighter if it had a leading force.
I'm grateful to Netgalley and the publisher Andraharts Publications for providing me with this free advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 26, 2023
DNF @36%
This is a tongue-in-cheek absurdist fantasy book told from the perspective of our main character, Kilco. Kilco is an apprentice physician working under the supervision and training of her mother, a renowned physician.
However, after 36% (of a 700+ page book) I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I didn’t find the character motivations to be believable, and the type of humour just didn’t land for me. In particular I found the main character incredibly unlikable and a bit dull. In my opinion, the main character dragged her feet through anything happening in the story, and came across as reluctant without any motivation for anything. This is clearly aimed at a YA audience (I would say around 14-15 years old), and I’m no longer in that target audience.
Although this book didn’t work for me, I think it would appeal to people who enjoy juvenile humour and a modern dialogue. Essentially, if you’re looking for a book where modern-day teenagers are plonked into a fantasy setting, this will probably work well for you.
If you find the use of exceedingly modern dialogue and language in a high fantasy setting to be jarring, then this one might not be a good fit for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a tongue-in-cheek absurdist fantasy book told from the perspective of our main character, Kilco. Kilco is an apprentice physician working under the supervision and training of her mother, a renowned physician.
However, after 36% (of a 700+ page book) I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I didn’t find the character motivations to be believable, and the type of humour just didn’t land for me. In particular I found the main character incredibly unlikable and a bit dull. In my opinion, the main character dragged her feet through anything happening in the story, and came across as reluctant without any motivation for anything. This is clearly aimed at a YA audience (I would say around 14-15 years old), and I’m no longer in that target audience.
Although this book didn’t work for me, I think it would appeal to people who enjoy juvenile humour and a modern dialogue. Essentially, if you’re looking for a book where modern-day teenagers are plonked into a fantasy setting, this will probably work well for you.
If you find the use of exceedingly modern dialogue and language in a high fantasy setting to be jarring, then this one might not be a good fit for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2020
I totally LOVED this horror fantasy novel, and I hope there's 20 sequels! I have little sense of humor, but even so I frequently laughed aloud at some of the scenes or turns of phrase, so yes, I guess this is also a "comedy." I also totally emphasized with protagonist Kilco. Man, this girl can't get a break! But she still perseveres, despite permanent paranoia and, I think, more than a touch of Asperger's [witness her encounters with the formidable doctor Kira], drunk Princess, demon, and warlock under the giant tree. Like the Energizer bunny, she keeps on keeping on. [Like a Timex, she keeps on ticking. ] Deaths, assaults, broken bones, puke, betrayal: NOTHING stops this unassuming feckless heroine. Gotta admire.
January 19, 2023
This novel has a LOT of potential. The first quarter really drew me in with the way it was written and the quirky characters. It felt clever and funny and original. But by halfway through I was struggling. Scenes went on for too long, some pieces of information seemed out of place and not properly woven into the story.
I expect typos in arcs, but there is more editing required than that. The story needs tightening up, better segues, some sections cut out all together. I'd almost go so far as to say it feels like it is all Middle with no Start or End.
I'm still confused by the use of Mildura (I live there) as a girl's name as well as Deniliquin as another name and the horse being called Makybe. But I guess it's the author having a laugh.
Three stars but I believe with good editing I would likely give it four or even five.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I expect typos in arcs, but there is more editing required than that. The story needs tightening up, better segues, some sections cut out all together. I'd almost go so far as to say it feels like it is all Middle with no Start or End.
I'm still confused by the use of Mildura (I live there) as a girl's name as well as Deniliquin as another name and the horse being called Makybe. But I guess it's the author having a laugh.
Three stars but I believe with good editing I would likely give it four or even five.
I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
September 14, 2020
2/5 Stars
This book was kindly sent to me for review through Netgalley. This is no way influences my thoughts or feelings
I have many thoughts and feelings about this book. So I'm just going to break it down by the CAWPILE rating system and explain them categorically.
Characters: I didn't enjoy any of the characters. They were abrasive and very flat with what felt like no development the whole story. Also, they were moments where they were so hypocritical and I didn't understand the main character at all and it made it very hard to get through the book.
Atmosphere: There is little to no world-building to be found. You are immediately thrown in and some books can pull that off well but I was just so confused for the first quarter of the book.
Writing: Unfortunately, not everyone can afford or has the ability to obtain an editor to read over their book. I hate to take off points for that but it was glaringly obvious when the wrong words were used, words weren't properly separated, and the formatting was off. Again, that's not something I can really fault the author for too much because, as I said, an editor is expensive and it would be very classist of me to say that the author should've had someone read over this before releasing it to the public.
Plot: The synopsis was nothing like the book. Actually, the synopsis says something happens that doesn't happen at all, so I would take it with a grain of salt if you ever did read the summary. I truly couldn't tell you the point of this book. We were constantly going down different paths and avenues and then the ending was so abrupt that it didn't feel like a natural segway into a sequel.
Intrigue: There were definitely points that could be developed in the future but I don't see myself continuing on with the series to see those flourish.
Logic: Again, the characters would say one thing and completely go against their own actions. I didn't understand any of the emotions or thoughts of any of the characters.
Enjoyment: So with all the issues I had with the other categories in this review it was hard for me to get through and I found myself skimming towards the end because I just wanted to be done. I won't be continuing with the series. However, I do wish the best to the author and I hope that others do find things they enjoy from this.
This book was kindly sent to me for review through Netgalley. This is no way influences my thoughts or feelings
I have many thoughts and feelings about this book. So I'm just going to break it down by the CAWPILE rating system and explain them categorically.
Characters: I didn't enjoy any of the characters. They were abrasive and very flat with what felt like no development the whole story. Also, they were moments where they were so hypocritical and I didn't understand the main character at all and it made it very hard to get through the book.
Atmosphere: There is little to no world-building to be found. You are immediately thrown in and some books can pull that off well but I was just so confused for the first quarter of the book.
Writing: Unfortunately, not everyone can afford or has the ability to obtain an editor to read over their book. I hate to take off points for that but it was glaringly obvious when the wrong words were used, words weren't properly separated, and the formatting was off. Again, that's not something I can really fault the author for too much because, as I said, an editor is expensive and it would be very classist of me to say that the author should've had someone read over this before releasing it to the public.
Plot: The synopsis was nothing like the book. Actually, the synopsis says something happens that doesn't happen at all, so I would take it with a grain of salt if you ever did read the summary. I truly couldn't tell you the point of this book. We were constantly going down different paths and avenues and then the ending was so abrupt that it didn't feel like a natural segway into a sequel.
Intrigue: There were definitely points that could be developed in the future but I don't see myself continuing on with the series to see those flourish.
Logic: Again, the characters would say one thing and completely go against their own actions. I didn't understand any of the emotions or thoughts of any of the characters.
Enjoyment: So with all the issues I had with the other categories in this review it was hard for me to get through and I found myself skimming towards the end because I just wanted to be done. I won't be continuing with the series. However, I do wish the best to the author and I hope that others do find things they enjoy from this.
July 15, 2020
Never really read a book like this one. The plot itself is not that complex: girl goes on adventure to foreign land, makes some friends, does something stupid, new friend dies as a result, must make a deal with the magical Hitler to bring friend back from dead. A to Z, very simple. Been done before. The characterisation, however, has not.
First and foremost, the main character is insane. She meets this (gay) boy and at first hates him for no reason, then he says something nice to her, and boom, she is obsessed with him. I don't mean like in the typical, cliche Romeo and Juliet short of way. No, I mean clinically nuts, watches him while he's sleeping, stares at him while he's eating, he cannot do anything wrong in her eyes sort of obsessed. Which is where the interesting bit comes in, because the boy she is obsessed with is a trained assassin who does not think twice about killing. He is, by default, not a good person. That's what makes this book so good and incredibly heavy to read - you get a very real and brutel look into the mindset of an apologist. Somebody who will make excuses for bad behavior. The author -whose writing and voice is super charming- is fully aware that the boy is behaving badly, it's not like twilight in which the bad behavior is normalized, rather it's a deliberatly honest deep dive into teenage codependent friendships and the hard, ugly relaties of obsessive behavior. Very fascinating read.
First and foremost, the main character is insane. She meets this (gay) boy and at first hates him for no reason, then he says something nice to her, and boom, she is obsessed with him. I don't mean like in the typical, cliche Romeo and Juliet short of way. No, I mean clinically nuts, watches him while he's sleeping, stares at him while he's eating, he cannot do anything wrong in her eyes sort of obsessed. Which is where the interesting bit comes in, because the boy she is obsessed with is a trained assassin who does not think twice about killing. He is, by default, not a good person. That's what makes this book so good and incredibly heavy to read - you get a very real and brutel look into the mindset of an apologist. Somebody who will make excuses for bad behavior. The author -whose writing and voice is super charming- is fully aware that the boy is behaving badly, it's not like twilight in which the bad behavior is normalized, rather it's a deliberatly honest deep dive into teenage codependent friendships and the hard, ugly relaties of obsessive behavior. Very fascinating read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2020
Enjoyable in parts,mostly the scene setting of another world,and how things work there.
Slow to go anywhere for the first quarter of the book I thought.
I found the main character quite annoying,and that never helps with a book.
Her mother however I loved.
Entertaining as it was for a few hours,I don't think I'll be rushing for the second book.
Slow to go anywhere for the first quarter of the book I thought.
I found the main character quite annoying,and that never helps with a book.
Her mother however I loved.
Entertaining as it was for a few hours,I don't think I'll be rushing for the second book.
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