Reviews and Comments

Mr. Acton

Mracton@sfba.club

Joined 3 months, 2 weeks ago

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finished reading Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (Between Earth and Sky, #1)

Rebecca Roanhorse: Black Sun (Paperback, 2021, Gallery / Saga Press)

A god will return When the earth and sky converge Under the black sun

In …

Using the Mesoamerican and Polynesian cultures and mythos to build the story is wonderfully unique. The POV characters are all intriguing. It definitely felt like a first of three books. If you like palace intrigue based fantasy novels, this is a definite recommend.

Steven Rowley: Celebrants (2023, Penguin Publishing Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons)

Celebrations of Life for the Living.

This book really resonated with me, but I’m also in the same age and cultural cohort as the characters. Add to that a personal event similar to the instigating event for the story and it was practically written for me.

After the loss of their close friend just prior to college graduation, the remaining friends create a pact to hold funerals for each other while they’re still alive. Through the years the friends call on the pact. Secrets are revealed and their friendships are repeatedly tested. They learn whether the pact a testament of their bond or a desperate grasp to hang onto a time long since passed?

While the specter of mortality weighs on the Celebrants more than the Guncle series, Steven Rowley’s punchy wit, irony, and joy shine through the same. While it doesn’t break new ground, it celebrates life, next chapters, and not leaving things unsaid.

Alexis Hall: Looking for Group (EBook, 2025, Sourcebooks, Incorporated)

Drew's always prided himself on being the "right" kind of nerd. He plays sports, has …

Fun and easy queer romance that I couldn’t put down.

Alexis Hall creates an ode to online spaces and the authenticity of the relationships formed therein. As someone who recently made some good friends and acquaintances in a fandom focused Discord server, that theme really resonated with me. In an MMORPG instance, Drew (he/him, persona name: Orcarella) becomes more and more interested in a person with a feminine presenting character named Solace. As Drew and this person grow closer, he must confront questions on whether online relationships are valid and whether he is more attracted to his perception of the person behind Solace is or to that person IRL.

As a queer YA romance, you can expect some tropes, few surprises, and an HEA. It only rarely challenges the reader, most likely those unfamiliar with online spaces. There’s a glossary for gamer terms, which are heavily used, but I forgot most of them and interpreted them on context clues in …