Naír

A funny thing of me having read The Atlas Six is that I only knew the book before reading it, for like, one or two artsy photo collages with a quote under it. And the sinopsis before reading it. That was it. I had no idea it was super popular (bc I have no TikTok nor will I) nor did I research reviews or anything. I just saw it and I was like: oh that book seemed interesting by that quote, gotta read the sinopsis. Then I got it and I finished in one night. No having expectations is such a sweet thing too. I had forgotten what that felt like.

Today I read like 4?5? chapters of Gideon the Ninth. I haven’t been spoiled on it, miraculously, although I’ve heard people praise the book a lot. And some funny sinopsis with no spoilers, the kind that tumblr loves. Read a crossover of dubious quality like almost two years ago with MDZS where I was: who are these two girls wtf is going on.

 Had to stop reading bc although the language is absolutely beautiful in how its managed. (Also sometimes it begs to be read aloud, I wasn’t expecting that quality!!) Although it stablishes really well the world and Gideon and I think the rest of the book is gonna go up… It’s so grim and things are so terrible all around holy shit. It hit me hard. Also everything is ugly; not the language of the story but the mood and the images they conjure in my mind. I’m a very visual reader, to the point I lose track of where I really am when I’m absorved bc I’m viewing everything in my head, so I was like. Ick. Ick. Ick. XD I’ll keep reading the book; but I’m not very optimistic to whether it’d be to my liking at the end.

Speed-read the Iron Widow and wow. Although the execution isn’t nowhere perfect, and could be better, I loved the charas and the worldbuilding! It was a pastiche but a nice one that worked with the book instead of against it, and I’m hoping we’ll see more of it in the second with that ending! Gave Ender’s Game vibes too… And also that creepy book where teenagers that behave badly are discomposed in a conscious operation to donate all their organs, what with Shimin state at the end. Gods I hope he comes back as a cyborg or something.

Wu Zetian rage and all of her, her ocasional blindness bc of it, for all the bad shit and trauma of her life, is such a good fem protag. Read someone saying it’d been better if she was meeker at the begining? And like, sorry, if she were she would have died on Yang G(whatevs) head on her first try. Or the story wouldn’t exist. There’s thousand of heroines that start meek, let Wu Zetian know exactly what she want and take all the steps to her ends and ambitions. Gods it was such a relief. How she wants so badly to love and be loved but no-one besides Yizhi and later Li Shimin (bc her sis is dead now) gave her that, and even then, how she doubts herself bc patriarchy fucked up her life so badly.

Also, everybody saying Yizhi is the sweet one, and like, compared to Zetian, sure, even with Shimin bc all he has suffered, but he’s a very determined fucker. Love to see him pulling strings for his two pilots and enabling their violence, and being down to murder. I feel like I was missing his and Shimin PoV’s sometimes. I just know those two had their conversations off page and i would love to have a window to their part of the triangle. Really more time in developing all sides all the relationship would been welcome, I feel like it jumped time very fast sometimes… 

I hope they three can get together again in the second book, but I’m holding my breath. Li Shimin doesn’t deserve to end on the hands of new jailers just when he had found  acceptance and happiness again ;_; (In my opinion, he’s the sweetest violence and murders non-withstanding, a rugged sort of kindness)

For the sexond book, chaos ahead. Qin Zheng and Wu Zetian acting rulers at the same time is gonna be messy I’m telling you xD I hope it ends if not happily with our trio alive and working to better the lives of people >_< Zetian can have a little tirany as a treat though.

Realising Animorphs exists with its alien parasite species (Yeerk) and just. Thinking back on The Host by Stephanie Meyer. And how they’re two very very very different stories but now I can’t help but think SM read at some point Animorphs- or heard about it. I haven’t read much SF how common those kinda aliens are? The ones that are small and rept into your brain to control your body in the process absorving your traits bc otherwise they haven’t a way to really live? Ok, about everything about the Animorphs worldbuilding is better than SM, bc as I said the stories themes are different, and are interested in exploring wildly different things, and the souls in The Host are besides very lite in comparison and stepped in Meyer christian imaginery but. I can’t unsee it. Why. I didn’t need those dots connecting in my brain.