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Book Review: Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Book synopsis here. Original review here.

Bitch Planet is one of those graphic novels everyone seems to recommend. And I can see why! It's about a group of women who are deemed "disobedient" from the male-dominated government and are sent to a distant prison planet called "Bitch Planet" to be "straightened out." There they have to do what they're told if they hope to survive. But the main group of women we follow are definitely not keen on such a notion. Then, obviously, rebellion ensues.

I first heard of Bitch Planet through BookTube. When I heard so many people talking about how feminist and inclusive it was, I had to give it a read. And I'm so glad I did! The entire first volume is incredible! The art is gorgeous! It's very colorful when it wants to be and gritty when it has to be. I love the character designs the most! All the women have different body shapes, skin color, and sexual orientations. I love the diversity within these pages and the women portrayed therein.

The plot itself is so intriguing. I want to know what our characters are going to do now that they are within this prison. We got to see some background stories for a couple of characters. I love Penny's background story the most. It's tragic, yes, but it helps the reader understand who she is as a person. It helps the reader understand some of the actions she chooses to make. I love her so much. I love ALL the characters so much! Well... except the ones we're supposed to hate... I don't like them as much.

And that's all I'm going to say about it! Read this graphic novel! It's fun, engaging, intersectionally feminist, daring, and intriguing! However, this is for a very mature audience. There's violence, nudity, sexual content, and gore. But if you're okay with that sort of content, then I highly recommend you pick up this graphic novel. It's filled with a diverse cast of women trying to make it in a world that refuses to allow women to be themselves. It's a fantastic read.

My rating: Buy It!

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Book Review: Audition by Ryū Murakami; Translated by Ralph McCarthy

Book synopsis here. Original review here.

I am not having good luck with Japanese literature this year.

Let me backtrack. At the beginning of this year, I said that I was going to read more Japanese literature. I love Japan. Its culture, language, history, and literature have fascinated me since I was five years-old. But even though I've studied the culture, language, and history, I've fallen behind on its literature. So I wanted to rectify that this year. I want to read through all of Haruki Murakami's works, some classics, and even modern novels that come from Japan. If you recall, at the beginning of January, I picked up Haruki Murakami's first novel and was completely underwhelmed by it. Now with Audition by Ryu Murakami, my second Japanese literature book for this year, I am left disgusted and annoyed that, so far, my reading project has been a bit of a let down.

Warning: The review below goes into a bit of graphic detail in order to accurately portray my disgust so be careful if you choose to continue onward.

The writing itself is not bad. I read an English edition so I can't comment on Murakami's own writing. But Ralph McCarthy did an excellent job in translating the novel. It never felt like he was trying to make it into a flowery writing style. It's raw and to the point. I was never confused as to what was going on within the story because of how fluid the writing is. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Everything else I did not like. Throughout most of the book you have the main character, Aoyama, being a complete sexist asshole. He and his friend, Yoshikawa, talked horribly about women. That they're not good for much except sex. That if a woman wants to be an actress, she will mostly likely end up sleeping her way to the top. Ugh. They even talked about wanting to sleep with a lot of women but won't have it if a woman decided to have sex with more than one man. It's a double-standard that's been passed along in our misogynistic society forever now and it really pisses me off. The main character even goes as far to say that any man who doesn't want to be surrounded by a whole bunch of women is either a homosexual or mentally ill. I don't need to tell you how harmful and backwards thinking that statement is.

But, wait, it gets worse!

Yoshikawa, best friend of Aoyama, is just as horrendous as Aoyama is! Yoshikawa says that no woman would want to date anyone who uses the internet because only "geeks" use it, and that people who have jobs at radio stations are all idiots and would do anything to get their name out there. As if DJs and radio hosts are empty-minded individuals for working on the radio instead of TV. And that jab about people using the internet? Yeah, how's that going for ya, Yoshikawa? I'm aware that this book was written in the 90s but even then saying something like THAT about anyone who uses the internet is downright offensive.

And I wish the problems would just end there but there's still more I need to talk about. Like how Murakami decided to describe the sex scenes in his book. Not that I mind have descriptions of sex in the books I read. I'm okay with that. What I'm not okay with is how Murakami chose to describe it. The descriptions were solely focused on Asami's, the main female character, body. He described the "folds" and the "white liquid" without ever touching upon Aoyama whatsoever. After all, he was there... you know. Just writing those scenes the way Murakami did diminished the act all together. It resulted in only objectifying Asami into a sex doll. Not that it's that surprising seeing as how all the other women in the book are written to be shallow, money-hungry, "sluts" who are only looking out for themselves.

One more thing I want to add before wrapping up this review and it's one of the biggest reasons why I HATE this book. At the beginning of the book, Aoyama mentions to Asami that he's surprised she is so normal and demure because usually people who suffer from abuse as a child end up with trauma that leave them mentally unstable. And then that statement is solidified by Asami later on trying to kill him. Because ALL rape/abuse victims are crazy and want to kill all the people they have a relationship with, right? Ugh... These types of comments that force abuse victims into one group are harmful. It sends the wrong message out to people. With how bad the stigma is around mental illness and rape victims, just saying that anyone who is abused as a child will grow up to be mass murderers is wrong! We don't need anymore of that type of representation in books or in any form of media. Rape victims do suffer trauma, yes, but they do not decide to become killers later on in life to "get back" at their rapists. And I won't sit here, claiming to know everything a rape victim goes through. However, I will also not sit here and let this toxic perception of victims go unchallenged either. They've already been through enough. We don't need to add on to their grief by labeling them as "psychopaths" as well.

Also, making said abuse victim dismember animals in a book just to add more "shock" value does not make the book better. It just makes the writer seem desperate and unimaginative in the story. There was no point in dismembering the dog. It did not go with the narrative Murakami was trying to "sell." He said that Asami wanted to "saw off the feet" of the men she was with to resemble her abuser and to "get back" at the men who wronged her. So why go after the dog? It did not fit her "criteria." Clearly, Murakami only added that part in to "disturb" the reader. There was no point to it and it was sloppy.

I know I gave away some points to the story but I felt like I had to so I could properly discuss why I hate this book. It's sloppy, misogynistic, harmful, and disgusting. I do not recommend you read this book. I won't say DON'T read it. I am of the belief people can read whatever they want. However, if anything I said disturbs you in any way, then you might want to steer clear. It's a shame that Ryu Murakami wrote a story in this manner. He is clearly not a writer for me and I will not be picking up anymore of his books.

My rating: Don’t waste your time on it.

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Short Story Review: The Summer Palace by C.S. Pacat

Short Story synopsis here. Original review here.

And, finally, the last short story that's currently out for fans to read and devour! The Summer Palace is an epilogue of sorts to Kings Rising and I am LIVING for it! It follows Damen and Laurent after the events that happened in Ios. They both travel to the Summer Palace to rest, talk, and discuss what the future may hold for them.

I'm going to say this: If you love the trilogy, then read this short story right now! In my Kings Rising review, I said I felt the book ended abruptly. I felt there should have been more story to wrap things up a bit more smoothly. Well, this short story did that! It gave Damen and Laurent a proper ending and I implore you to read this so you can see what became of them after the "final battle."

The writing in this short story is a lot better than it was in the first short story. Where the first story felt rushed and choppy, this one felt like Pacat took her time to flesh out what she wanted Damen and Laurent to feel, to act. There were a couple of typos here and there but nothing too noticeable. I enjoyed the slower pace to this story because I felt it suited the atmosphere of the setting. I love that we got to see a much more domestic side to both of these characters and I love that we got to see Laurent open up and "thank" Damen for everything he's done.

I really love this conclusion. A lot. This short story is an excellent addition to the Captive Prince universe and if you're a fan, then you will DEFINITELY enjoy this as well. Give it a read!

Now to wait for the other short stories to be released... I hate waiting! X3

My rating: Buy It!

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Short Story Review: Green but for a Season by C.S. Pacat

Short Story synopsis here. Original review here.

And we continue on with the short stories from the Captive Prince trilogy! This short story takes place during book two and follows Jord. It explains how he came to be a part of the Prince's Guard and what he did whilst being Captain. It also touches a tiny bit on his relationship with Aimeric.

In short (no pun intended), I liked this story. I liked getting to know Jord a bit more. I also liked seeing him develop further than he was in the books. I enjoyed seeing his history and how he interacted with Laurent as a young boy. I will say, however, that I feel that this short story was a bit rushed. I know it's a short story and it's not going to have as much depth as a full length novel. But it just felt choppy in some parts. There was a moment I had to check to make sure that I didn't skip a part because we went from one scene to the next without proper transition. I would have also liked to see Jord and Aimeric's relationship fleshed out more than was in this story, which is what I initially thought this short story was going to be about. I wanted to see their relationship be explored because in the novels, I felt their relationship was hinted to be complex and I just... didn't get that in this story. And that’s all I’ll say about it. Being a short story, if I say anymore, the whole story is ruined.

Still, it's a pretty good read for anyone who is a fan of the trilogy. I think you'd enjoy it even if it's a bit on the shorter side.

My Rating: Buy It!

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Book Review: Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat

Book synopsis here. Original review here.

Last year, I read the first two books in C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince trilogy and absolutely loved them! I loved them so much, my partner and I bought them as soon as we finished reading them to add to our collections! And it's only now that I am getting around to the third and final book to the trilogy. (I know there are short stories that come after the series so I will get to them soon.) I have to say I LOVED this book!

If you're familiar with the series, then this continues off where the second book ended. It continues Damen and Laurent's struggles of fighting a war with the Regent of Vere. I won't say anything of the plot because this IS wrapping up the story. However, I will say if you loved the first two books then you will love this one immensely.

The writing is breathtaking! Pacat's depictions are lovely. I adore the way she describes scenery the most. The characters are just as engaging as they were in the first two books. And, yes, Damen is still dumb. I can't believe he wasn't able to figure out Laurent was raped and abused by his uncle. And, no, I don't consider that a spoiler because the hints were HEAVILY implied throughout the ENTIRE trilogy. So anyone with a brain could figure out the abuse Laurent had to endure from his uncle when he was a child. And then there's Damen... man, is he dumb. He really didn't know this entire time... and then he does something ELSE stupid later on that I can't say because that IS a spoiler but... it was just as stupid as not figuring out Laurent's rape. Still, Damen is dumb in a harmless way. In what I mean that he has his heart in the right place... even if he can't use his brain to save his life... LITERALLY!

Laurent really made my heart ache in this book. Knowing what we know about his childhood and how much he misses his brother, it pains me to see him trying to protect himself by pushing those away. He's also protecting Damen because he knows what kind of man his uncle is and he doesn't want Damen to have to deal with that. So Laurent does the one thing he knows how to do: Keep him at a distance by being a total ass to him! I swear, I love Laurent. I do. But he can be such a jerk sometimes. Actually, I find it quite hilarious the way he acts and responds with snarky/sassy comments. Laurent and Damen's relationship is such an interesting, wild, sometimes bizarre ride that I can't help but LOVE!

In short, I love this book. It's fast-paced, fun, steamy, and incredible! My one complaint was how it seemed to just end. The ending, I felt, needed to be dragged out a bit more. BUT! The short story, The Summer Palace, is an epilogue of the trilogy which is why I'm not too upset by Kings Rising stopping almost abruptly. Just keep in mind that you might want to have The Summer Palace nearby if you want to have a full conclusion to the story.

The same warnings apply as to the first two books. So if you've read the first two, you know what you'll be getting in this one. There's sex, violence, adult language, mentions of rape, and murder. If you're okay with reading that then I highly recommend you read this book. These are fun books that you can read in one sitting if you're looking for a steamy mlm politically-run romp.

My Rating: Buy it!

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Book Review: Prince’s Gambit by C.S. Pacat

Book synopsis here. Original review here.

A/N: More has been added on to this review since I last wrote it a year back. I linked to my original review above in case you want to read that. Below is an edited version with new insight and added commentary.

Moving on to the second book in the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat and... I loved it just as much as I did the first one. In fact, I loved it more than I did the first one. Mostly because this one had a lot more consent in it than the first did... and if you've read the first book, you'll know what I am talking about.

This series surprised me. I, honestly, was not expecting much going into it. I was not expecting to get a good story, great characters, and fantastic writing but that's just what I got! And I couldn't be more pleased. Pacat has written a series that keeps you interested in the story and cheering for the characters to work on their differences! To improve on their state of being and work together to put an end to the Regent’s empirical rule.

I loved seeing Damen and Laurent grow so much more in this second book. I love seeing them develop in a positive way. Damen is still on the dumb side like he was in the first book, but that’s alright. He’s still a very likable character. Laurent showed the most progress in this book! I am so proud of him! He’s slowly opening up and learning to be a good leader for his people. I adore seeing him become more... human in this novel. And knowing how all this ends just makes me all giddy inside!

Also, the LGBTQIAP+ themes are handled quite nicely in this series. It's nice to see a book that has homosexual themes yet doesn't revert to the typical stereotypes, which I appreciated a lot. Pacat is a fantastic author who writes what she wants and is not afraid to tackle certain subjects that most people would shy away from and, for that, she has my respect.

If you are okay with a book series that has a bit more of an adult theme, i.e. sex, violence, murder, etc., then I highly recommend this series. Just keep in mind that the first book contains quite a few rape scenes (once again pausing to mention that, no, they are not glorified and Pacat makes it a point to show that rape is not okay in any way) and if that's something that upsets you then you might want to look into reading something else.

But if you’ve read the first one and have now read this one, then welcome aboard! We’re in Damen/Laurent hell now and there’s no getting out of it. Not that I want to get out of it. I really LOVE this series and though this is only my second time reading Prince’s Gambit, I was just as into it as I was the first read-through. The third book, Kings Rising, is the only one I haven’t read so I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts about it!

My Rating: Buy it!

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Book Review: Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

Book synopsis here. Original review here.

A/N: More has been added on to this review since I last wrote it a year back. I linked to my original review above in case you want to read that. Below is an edited version with new insight and added commentary.

Well... how to start this review... okay... I just heard that this book was filled with boyfriends doing the do and I wanted to read it. I regret nothing.

This was such an entertaining book... on multiple levels! I love the story about the rising threat of a war breaking out between two nations and the princes on both sides battling to protect their own land. However, one of these princes didn't take into account that he'd end up a slave to the other. >:3

The writing is absolutely beautiful. The way Pacat is able to have her words flow across the page is breathtaking. She sets the scene easily, never causing the reader to backtrack in order to envision the setting or the characters. I love how she writes. This may be only the first in a trilogy, but I know for a fact (I have read the others in the trilogy already~) that her writing is only going to get better from here.

I was very much surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I kept wanting to read this book without putting it down to find out what was going to happen to these characters. I enjoyed reading from Damen, the main character's, perspective. Laurent, the other main, was and IS a douche... but you can't help but like him for his arrogance. Erasmus was my favorite. Precious baby must be protected at all times! The story had me hooked and the writing was detailed and a bit challenging at times, which I greatly appreciated. I feel I don't read enough books that are challenging to me as a reader.

I having nothing bad to say about this book. I went in knowing what it was about: That there's a lot of gratuitous sex and violence. If you go in knowing that, then you're good to go. Also, just a heads up, I didn't know there were quite a few rape scenes throughout this first book. It's not romanticized or glorified in any way. Pacat makes it clear that rape is a terrible, disgusting act and the people partaking in it are also horrible, but the rape is still there and if that is not something you like reading, you should skip this book altogether. Later on in the trilogy, there aren’t any rape scenes. However, it’s all over this first book so keep that in mind when reading this.

One thing I’d like to point out in this review that I didn’t write in the original is how some of the characters’ actions can be seen as racist. The lighter skinned characters do call the darker skinned characters barbarians. And the way Damen idolizes Laurent’s light colors and blond hair is a bit jarring. So that’s another thing to note when going into this book.

I’ve read this book twice now and, although I really did enjoy it, it’s not without its flaws or problematic themes. This type of book will definitely only appeal to a certain type of reader and if that’s you, then fantastic. I really think you will highly enjoy this book! If not, you might want to skip this one. I enjoyed this book but I know this book can be triggering to some readers. Please take care of yourself above all else with what you read. 

My reviews for the next two books and the short story will follow shortly in case you’re curious to see what else I think about the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat. It’s gonna be a good one~

My Rating: Find it at a library.