Review: Katabasis

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This isn't a book for readers, this is a book for pretentious asshats that think of themselves as 'scholars'.

The hype for this book was real - I hadn't read any of this author's books before but The Poppy War is a favourite of my good friend Juliette so we were both hanging for this and were lucky enough to get ARCs from Harper Collins.

So this was a Buddy Read with Juliette.

A journey to Hell sounds like just my kind of premise, and this book started by taking us straight there with Alice Law and her fellow student/colleague, Peter. Magic(k) in this world mostly involves drawing pentagrams and reciting absurd paradoxes so a little of that and away we go.

So let's get it out of the way: this book made a journey to Hell about as exciting as sitting through a lecture on the scientific properties of dry paint.

Although, to be fair, science is much more interesting than this awful, bland blend of mathematics, linguistics and philosophy.

Almost immediately, the narrative switches to flashbacks detailing how hard Alice worked as a student under Grimes, and goes on (and on, and on, and on ...) about word puzzles, paradoxes, mathematical properties and implications regarding Hell and all manner of pointless things in between. A little bit tested the brain so at the start I didn't mind so much, but as the book went on and all this extra stuff took precedence over the continuation of the story I became increasingly frustrated. We get about three chapters of this random, way-over-my-head crap for every chapter of actual journeying through Hell. The average reader is not going to be interested in this amount of superfluous speculation. GET TO THE GOOD STUFF ALREADY.

Sadly, even 'good stuff' is a stretch because, Kuang's Hell? It's all flat, monotonous plains and other ridiculously dull iterations that I won't mention just for spoilers-sake. There is no kind of LIFE in her story - no demons or devils, no fire and brimstone, no pitchforks or pits or meaningful monsters. The creativity she does develop in this area is washed away easily by those other chapters of random stuff I mentioned, meaning there's really not much exciting about their journey at all.

This is a book about a PHD student who is just the BESTEST STUDENT EVER. She's Not Like Other Girls because she doesn't mind being treated like a piece of crap by her advisor because it's all totally worth it: one day she's going to get A Really Good Job out of it.

Honestly? The whole 'student life' she detailed was depressing AF but, with Kuang being a PHD student herself, I can only assume we're supposed to admire Alice's dedication to a life entirely devoid of anything other than her studies. I myself felt sorry for her lack of living, but that wasn't a subject that really made its way into this book the way it should have.

So then we have the 'magick' which mostly amounts to a whole lot of nothing. It felt a stretch to refer to it as magic since it's just chalk drawings and paradoxes and there's no real decent explanation of how it all works. Basically, it's maths. 'Just be okay with it' is kind of the message here. Magic has never been less interesting to me.

Finally, the whole reason for Alice and Peter going after Grimes was POINTLESS. Allow me to veer into SPOILER territory:
(view spoiler)[Both claim they want to get Grimes back because he's their only hope of landing a good job. But then it turns out that Alice wants to bring him back as some kind of ridiculous revenge, and Peter just feels guilty because he believes he's the reason Grimes died. Given the level of sacrifice that needed to be made by both, I found neither of these things plausible. I also LOATHED the sexual assault because it was such a trope moment - this book is supposed to be telling a different kind of story and you still had to have this same student/teacher rapey BULLSHIT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I was so mad reading it. It's such an old, tired crutch for authors to lean on, to give their characters A Bad Time. There was nothing clever in the way it was done. It was just shoved in to make some kind of point that made zero sense to the whole plot of this book. (hide spoiler)]

Essentially, this book had zero reason to exist because the premise thins to nothing as the book goes on.

In the same line of thinking, a quick comment on the 'romance' this book is promoted as: what romance? There is some awkward smooshing of Alice and Peter's feelings here and there but nothing about their relationship feels organic. It's more like she threw in a little bit just so this book could cash in on the current trend of 'Romantasy.' I'm not even into romance and I found this relationship dull. And communication misunderstandings is one of my least favourite things in any book - JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER FFS.

Don't get me started on the additional pointlessness of the fking CAT.

This started out as a four star read for me, but dropped dramatically to a place of loathing. I wanted so badly for it to meet the high expectations I had for it, but it ended up turning me off Kuang completely. I've heard it mentioned that she believes people who don't like her books 'just don't get it' so I guess I'll happily admit she would think I'm a dumbass. Because this book was terrible.

I'm throwing it a bonus star for keeping me curious for the first hundred or so pages, but it's more of a pity star and an apology to Harper for such a hate-filled review of a book they so generously provided.

With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC

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Review: Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo

Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo by Scott Snyder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fresh retake on the Batman legend.

I started reading this in singles, alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman. This is probably my least fave of the three, as it's still pretty similar to the original Batman story - it's just Batman beating up bad guys. It's fun, but it's nothing particularly new. That said, the story gets stronger as it goes along, and we see Bruce as a kid who actually has friends. And some familiar friends, too ...

There's a new trauma here to create Batman, but much of the rest is the same so I found myself not really understanding the hype. This is still such a massively popular series but for me it's one of the weaker ones. It's really good - don't get me wrong - but I can't help but compare it to Absolute Wonder Woman, which is blowing it out of the water. By comparison, it's great but nothing quite as special.

This volume tackles the re-launch, so we get a fresh crime to hold the interest while the new Batman and all supporting characters (and gadgets) are revealed. Issue #5 throws back to give us more back story, and #6 brings it all home.

Artwork fluctuates but was mostly a disappointment to me. I didn't like the style at all, and some of the earlier issues it seems like the artist was still feeling out what he wanted to draw. So that was the real nail in the coffin for me. It's definitely dark and gritty, and it might work for others, but with such a massive build up it was all a bit of a let down for me.

That said, there's still a decent story here, and Batman fans should appreciate this new take on the Dark Knight. There are some significant points of difference that will draw readers in and keep them guessing about what's to come in later issues.

I think Batman/DC fans need to read this one, if only to decide you like the regular old Batman just fine. There are some new ideas here that are worth the time, and it does get quite brutal which is quite fitting for Batman. The art style may not be for everyone but it does get stronger in later issues, which should satisfy everyone in it for the long haul.

With thanks to DC/Lunar for an ARC

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Review: The Sleep Room: A Sadistic Psychiatrist and the Women Who Survived Him

The Sleep Room: A Sadistic Psychiatrist and the Women Who Survived Him by Jon Stock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Richard Armitage, Celia Imrie, Antonia Beamish
Presented by Tantor Audio

This was interesting but the swerve into conspiracy theories threw me a bit.

An interesting account of Dr William Sargant, a psychiatrist who kept a bunch of 'troublesome' women drugged up and asleep so he could give them continuous bouts of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Now sure, it was a different time, but there is so much wrong with what this guy did. There are some interesting discussions of consent (or lack thereof) and how much was for the good of the patient versus how much the research would benefit the doc and his ego.

It does focus more on Sargant than the women, as most of the women have sparse memories of their time in the facility. So instead we learn more of Sargant's biography, and how he justified doing horrible things in the name of science.

I found the inserts from patients quite interesting, and at the start they blended well though by the end they began to feel out of place. This book seemed concerned with the women only up to a certain point, but they end up being reduced to something of a footnote to the rest of Sargant's scientific exploits. That didn't sit too well with me.

I listened to the audio and as much as I love Richard Armitage I did have to speed him up to x1.75 and then eventually x2. He spoke eloquently but left such long pauses I found myself getting impatient. Otherwise, though, his narration was perfectly serious and well suited to the job. The female narrators were okay, but I found them sounding too - for lack of a better word - sane. They spoke very well as they discussed all manor of struggles and it didn't quite fit for me. I know that seems like a weird complaint, but ultimately it comes down to the narrator not seeming to match the written voice.

I enjoyed it much more at the start but as it started to drift away from the sleep room I found my attention wandering. There were a few questionable inclusions and it seemed a little like the author had an agenda when it came to discussing spies and psychological warfare.

I think this will be fascinating to fans of psychology, though listening to what the women were put through does enrage. It's an interesting study of a sadistic man, but if you want to read it for the stories of the women involved, you may be disappointed.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Spectators

Spectators by Brian K Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's no Saga but it's still a fun read that gives you a lot to think about - particularly with the current state of the world.

The story is a ghostly observation of a dystopian future, in which the world is on the brink of collapse. Two voyeuristic ghosts form a friendship as they explore the world in its current state, providing an interesting reflection on sex and violence.

There's plenty of kinky stuff and there's plenty of violence, and between the two it makes for a really intriguing story that asks why some things are taboo and others not. It's honest and frank about the nature of humans and it's a somewhat depressing view.

I enjoyed the way this made me think. I'm trying to be a little more open-minded when it comes to sex in media (I've always been quite a prude about it, so this kind of story hits its target audience with me) and this made me appropriately uncomfortable. At the same time, I enjoyed the challenge it put forth and how cleverly it did so.

The artwork is fun, creating depth and beauty when needed and laying the story out in clever panels. The narrative was easy to follow and the art definitely complemented the story. This was a brilliant use of the medium - a novel of this story wouldn't hit nearly as hard as this did with the visual accompaniment.

This won't be for everyone, but I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sci-fi take on sex vs violence.

With thanks to Image Comics for an ARC

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Review: The Thorn Birds

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I expected to get bored with this one, but it was completely absorbing.

From the very first pages about Meggie and her new doll, my heart was clenching and unclenching. So many ups and downs!

I ended up really loving it, though parts of it nearly broke me.

The story describes three generations of the same family, though predominantly surrounding Meggie - daughter of Fee and Paddy - and a priest named Ralph. The sweeping saga tells of life on the property Drogheda in outback Australia, covering life from 1915 til 1969.

I'm not really one for rural romances, but this hardly sat in that category like I'd expected it to. Rather, it brings to life the Australian outback, life in the early 20th century, and the limitations of expectation.

There is a stark reality to the story that still manages to complement the tale of familial love and dedication, enhancing our awareness of the conditions. Life on an isolated property isn't easy, and this story covers all the highs and lows of such a life. The writing is brilliantly eloquent in detailing the environment in both its brutality and its beauty.

The same can be said for the characters - some are hard to love, but we can empathise easily and feel all the colours of emotion along with the family. I wasn't expecting to feel such visceral reactions to some of the scenes, and partway through there was a point I thought I might stop reading altogether because of how some of it made me feel. But there were too many loose threads for me to leave unbound, and I'm glad I finished it. It was well worth it.

Overall, this was a brutal, beautiful saga that reflected its setting well. We witness the change of times and lifestyles as the eras progress, and the impact it has on the changing narrative within the family. The thread is strong and there is some beautiful symbolism to sit and ponder long after reading concludes.

Highly recommend to all, particularly those wanting to feel a full range of emotions, and/or looking for characters they want to be absorbed by.

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Review: Bad Creek

Bad Creek by Peyton June
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by Michael Crouch, Suzy Jackson, Nick Mills
Presented by RB Media

I didn't mind this, though the narrator for Gum was not my fave.

Three inseparable teens return to their regular summer haunt, but things aren't the same since last summer, when their fourth member drowned. There are secrets and mixed feelings and super weird things happening.

This jumps straight into eerie supernatural happenings, and it doesn't shy from that which I quite enjoyed. It commits to the horror and it gives the story a nice solid feel.

I don't know that I ever really liked any of the characters - they all have stubborn and/or naive ways of looking at everything and it does get a little tiresome after a while.

I did also tune out a few times, especially during Gum's chapters because the narration bothered me.

I enjoyed the narration from the other two, but Gum just delivered everything in the same stressed tone. Like everything was concerning, but then when action was happening it was the same rather than more exciting. I don't know if that makes sense but my point is that it all sounded the same, making it hard to appreciate the more exciting events his chapters told.

The other two narrators gave enough inflection to give the story character, so I found those much easier to listen to and follow.

I enjoyed the mystery, but probably tuned out a few too many things to properly put the puzzles together myself. I liked the way things came together, and I'm glad that it stuck with its supernatural themes because they were interesting and creepy.

All in all, this was a fun YA horror story. I think I'd have got more out of it with a physical read, but listening was good fun and still sufficiently disturbing.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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