Sasha Fountain
Alpha Awakened
This book was quick, easy, and sweet, with an extreme case of insta-love. I liked this as a setup for the rest of the series. Before this book, I had primarily read wolf-shifter stories, so dragons were a nice change of pace. I wouldn't say I liked the resolution of the unnamed enemy because it does not seem to connect to the story at large. I've reread this series several times, and the villains in this book are not tied to the larger narrative developed in the subsequent books.
This book was quick, easy, and sweet, with an extreme case of insta-love. I liked this as a setup for the rest of the series. Before this book, I had primarily read wolf-shifter stories, so dragons were a nice change of pace. I wouldn't say I liked the resolution of the unnamed enemy because it does not seem to connect to the story at large. I've reread this series several times, and the villains in this book are not tied to the larger narrative developed in the subsequent books.
I'm not much of a horror girlie, so when I got an ALC of this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I decided to read it for the fall in the lead-up to Halloween. It's a mix of Lovecraftian-style horror, film, and Mexican history, which is a great starter horror for people who are scaredy cats lol. Moreno-Garcia touches on a magic system that touches on Nazism, racism, and classism and proves that magic is not just for white elites. The concept that Ewers, the main villain, was a thief who stole magic practices from other practitioners is similar to the way that colonizers have appropriated facets of indigenous cultures and twisted them for their own purposes. Montserrat and Tristán's battle against the forces they awaken with Abel is intriguing and kept my attention. I am a horrible audiobook reader, so it took me over a month to finish, but that's because I get distracted easily, so I listened in small chunks until I finished.
The book is slow to start, and the first 25% is very character-driven and focused on Montserrat and Tristán, which is why it took some time to slog through that portion of the book. Once they meet Abel Urueta, the action really picks up. The complexity of the characters got me hooked, and throughout the book, they work together seamlessly. It was refreshing to have Montserrat as a heroine who knew her shit and didn't take shit from anyone. The dynamic between her and Tristán was intriguing and a little codependent on Tristán's side.
If you are looking for a refreshing horror novel that is easy for beginning horror readers, check this out. This isn't a fast, breezy, and gory read, which I appreciated, but if that's your jam, this book is not for you. I have physical copies of Mexican Gothic and Certain Dark Things, and this is leading me to push them up my TBR.
Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC, and this is my honest review.
I'm not much of a horror girlie, so when I got an ALC of this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I decided to read it for the fall in the lead-up to Halloween. It's a mix of Lovecraftian-style horror, film, and Mexican history, which is a great starter horror for people who are scaredy cats lol. Moreno-Garcia touches on a magic system that touches on Nazism, racism, and classism and proves that magic is not just for white elites. The concept that Ewers, the main villain, was a thief who stole magic practices from other practitioners is similar to the way that colonizers have appropriated facets of indigenous cultures and twisted them for their own purposes. Montserrat and Tristán's battle against the forces they awaken with Abel is intriguing and kept my attention. I am a horrible audiobook reader, so it took me over a month to finish, but that's because I get distracted easily, so I listened in small chunks until I finished.
The book is slow to start, and the first 25% is very character-driven and focused on Montserrat and Tristán, which is why it took some time to slog through that portion of the book. Once they meet Abel Urueta, the action really picks up. The complexity of the characters got me hooked, and throughout the book, they work together seamlessly. It was refreshing to have Montserrat as a heroine who knew her shit and didn't take shit from anyone. The dynamic between her and Tristán was intriguing and a little codependent on Tristán's side.
If you are looking for a refreshing horror novel that is easy for beginning horror readers, check this out. This isn't a fast, breezy, and gory read, which I appreciated, but if that's your jam, this book is not for you. I have physical copies of Mexican Gothic and Certain Dark Things, and this is leading me to push them up my TBR.
Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC, and this is my honest review.
Added to listThe Diverse Baseline 2024with 1 book.
Added to listOwnedwith 107 books.
Quote I Loved
"Bless the type 4 child, scalp massaged with the milk of cruelty, cranium cursed, crushed between adult knees, drenched in pink lotion."
This poetry collection had me tearing up at times. this collection was a rumination on various lived experiences that, as a Black woman, felt familiar to me. The imagery was so vivid, and I'm definitely reading more of her work.
Quote I Loved
"Bless the type 4 child, scalp massaged with the milk of cruelty, cranium cursed, crushed between adult knees, drenched in pink lotion."
This poetry collection had me tearing up at times. this collection was a rumination on various lived experiences that, as a Black woman, felt familiar to me. The imagery was so vivid, and I'm definitely reading more of her work.
