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Queens High School

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CGreaves

5,851 pts
(5,183 pages read)

  • The Narrow Road Between Desires

    By Patrick Rothfuss
    5 stars

    A fantastic little novella where mystery and slyness abound. It's not often you can read a succinct story of sly dealing and efficient word trickery in such a fantastic world - yet Rothfuss doesn't fail to impress here. It is always fun to see your protagonist have one pulled over them, and the tale has some beautiful language, great dramatic irony, and enough mysteries to power multiple re-reads.

  • The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince

    By Robin Hobb
    4 stars

    A fantastic little short story, which serves to showcase more of Hobb's phenomenal range and style. Adapting a tale which occurs frequently in her longer work is a bold choice, and and I definitely appreciated it - the tale of the Piebald Prince is so steeped in Fitz's tale that it is fantastic to see it come to light. There's a part of me who enjoyed leaving it to mystery, yet this telling of the tale does it justice, and develops both Hobb's worldbuilding, and her skill as an author of tragedy. It is at its heart a deeply tragic tale, and it is both harrowing and frustrating, as an entire class of people becomes othered by a political party's bid for the throne. I can only approach it as someone who knew how the tale must end, but I must say, a narrator who keeps stating that they will tell "only the truth" begins to feel unreliable after the fifth or six reiteration of that statement. It's an interesting little story about love and loss, and about how to write a narrator whose emotional stakes in the narrative prevent them from ever being truly unbiased.

  • Cat Hair Hats for Cats

    By Rojiman & Umatan
    4 stars

    It's crazy what you can find in the public library. My partner and I love reading old cookbooks or cake decorating books with wild themes (such as a kid's cake book with a punk cake called "Joe Bad"), and this feels like a spiritual successor. Conceptually this book is amazing, yet the creation of garments from oneself definitely creates some questions. My favorite aspect of this has to be the fact that not once do the authors acknowledge that this is really quite strange, and spend the whole book acting as if making clothes for a cat out of their fur is a perfectly normal and everyday activity. It is not one I can exactly recommend unless you are into exploring the strange, but a fun look all the same!

  • The Deepwater Bride and Other Stories

    By Tamsyn Muir
    4 stars

    A fantastic little collection of short stories, some with familiar elements, and some quite experimental. As a fan of Muir's larger work, these earlier stories are fascinating to read. Many themes, stylistic elements, and tones appear both in these stories, and her longer series. It is quite interesting watching the way she uses elements of each of these stories (a fascination with bones, with "consuming" another, etc.) in her longer work, and these stories provide a great backdrop and a piece of history in her writing. There were some great stories set within New Zealand, but I did find a couple of her stories felt too Lovecraftian for me, and I didn't get her unique voice as much. My favorite story from this collection is definitely "The Magician's Apprentice", which I 100% recommend, especially if you are an English teacher like us. A story exploring tolls on the body, while an older man explains Lolita as a metaphor for consuming someone else's life/youth, all building into a great finale.

  • Fangs for Nothing

    By Steffanie Holmes
    4 stars

    A very fun and charismatic romance novel, with just enough hints for the canny reader to discern that the author is a kiwi. Holmes is able to craft a brooding vampire who is just unique enough to care about, and who has enough humanity to make him fun. It doesn't bother too much with the nuances, and instead the novel is a fun read with a pair of hilarious characters and just enough plot to keep you reading. It was smuttier than what I usually read, and there were a couple of jarring transitions, but overall this was a fun and light novel which was a great break after reading a much heavier series. Holmes has another novel releasing early in 2026 and it will probably be my first choice for when I need something a little lighter. (Also, the number of librarians, bookstore owners, and readers in romance novels aimed at women is a fascinating area of both study and teaching.)

  • The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex

    By Tamsyn Muir
    5 stars

    First of all, I love how Muir has designed an universe around necromancy and the use of necromancy as a studied art. It is exceptionally scholarly, and the terminology Muir uses really sells the universe. This exploration through the Sixth House gives a deeply scientific look at the use of necromancy as a tool, and it provides a fun little locked room mystery with two of the most fun characters in the Locked Tomb trilogy. This is a definite recommendation, probably to read between Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. It builds both the lore and verisimilitude of the universe, while also providing a different viewpoint on the arts which Harrowhark treats casually throughout the main series.

  • The Unwanted Guest

    By Tamsyn Muir
    5 stars

    A really unique little story structured as a play - I wasn't sure how I felt about this at first, but it really came together into a neat little tale. The structure built up the purpose of the story, and it allowed for some great insights into one of the characters. Muir is a fantastic writer, and this was a thoroughly entertaining little ditty. It definitely isn't for anyone who hasn't read the Locked Tomb series, but for those who have, this will provide a series of fun little puzzles to explore.

  • This Inevitable Ruin

    By Matt Dinniman
    5 stars

    Another phenomenal novel by Dinniman. I am devastated that the series is ongoing because this is currently the latest publication. This novel has continued to be outrageously funny, horrifying in its implications, and surprisingly nuanced despite the exterior. I haven't felt this invested in a suite of characters since reading Robin Hobb's work, and I have been struck by the post-series listlessness. Onto something lighter after this. This novel brings everything back together and reveals layers of dramatic irony in earlier novels which crack the whole series wide open. The novel is a little focused on individuals for a large scale war premise, and if you want a good fantasy war novel I recommend David Gemmell, but in many ways this works for the series and does keep readers who don't care for the violence engaged. It's not a truly BAD aspect of the novel, I just think expecting the novel to follow the conflict will leave you potentially disappointed as it follows our core cast and their hijinks more than the wider battles. Overall, Dinniman's novels are shockingly good considering their very fan-fictionesque premise, and while the first novel is a little weaker than the rest (although still hilarious), this series is well worth sticking with and considering. If you like fantasy it'll do it for you, but even if you hate games and fantasy, the novels have enough depth and flair to keep you entertained and immersed regardless of your prior preferences. 10/10 can recommend this series.

  • The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

    By Matt Dinniman
    4 stars

    Keen eyed observers may notice this is the first book I've given a 4/5 star review to. This should really be a 4.5 star, but still. While this novel has many of the great things about others in the series, it does also have a couple of failings which make it less potent than the earlier additions to the series. This novel spans the gap between two of the best novels in the series (yes I read the next one before doing this review), and it definitely feels more like a filler text. It does not develop the characters to the same extent as the others, and it takes a lot of side paths before coming back onto the main story. Part of this is likely because of the structure of the overall dungeon which Dinninam established at the beginning of the series, but still, it didn't have the same heart-pounding pace as the others. Despite these shortcomings, it had a really unique approach to a game style within the text, some of the most horrifying moments in the series (and I appreciate how Dinniman is able to merge humor and terror in the same novel so aptly), and towards the end it does have some pretty serious moments which elevate the next text. Overall, an absolute blast, but a slight step sideways.

  • The Butcher's Masquerade

    By Matt Dinniman
    5 stars

    Again, a serial novel which keeps the pace going, and intensifies the story and the stakes. With each novel, the stakes grow and the tension ratchets up, bringing in a much wider universe. I personally am loving the increasing layers of civil disobedience and anarchy, alongside the inclusion of more characters and a cast of villains who feel complete. This book is definitely the turning point in the series, and marks my favorite novel so far. The fast pace, great writing, and development of themes into a wider picture makes this novel feel like the natural turning point in the series.

  • The Gate of the Feral Gods

    By Matt Dinniman
    5 stars

    As this series progresses, the depth and social commentary just gets better and better. If you were unsure because of the individualistic survival elements in the first books, fear not - this series just continues to grow as Carl's schemes take root.

  • The Dungeon Anarchists Cookbook

    By Matt Dinniman
    5 stars

    Another fantastic addition to the series. There isn't much to say other than it's great this series is continuing to get better and isn't falling off the rails (you'll see what I did there when you read it).

  • Carl's Doomsday Scenario

    By Matt Dinniman
    5 stars

    There's far more nuance packed in here than the facade would have you believe, and it's more than just token depth too - Not a book for the faint of heart, but an absolutely wild ride and utterly hilarious. If you've read the first one (which you should have) then this one continues the theme.

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