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REVIEW: Walking on Water by Matthew J. Metzner

22/12/2017

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REVIEWED BY KAELAN

BLURB

When a cloud falls to earth, Calla sets out to find what lies beyond the sky. Father says there’s nothing, but Calla knows better. Something killed that cloud; someone brought it down.
Raised on legends of fabled skymen, Calla never expected them to be real, much less save one from drowning—and lose her heart to him. Who are the men who walk on water? And how can such strange creatures be so beautiful?
Infatuated and intrigued, Calla rises out of her world in pursuit of a skyman who doesn’t even speak her language. Above the waves lies more than princes and politics. Above the sky awaits the discovery of who Calla was always meant to be. But what if it also means never going home again?

REVIEW
Read it. Hie thee hence to a place to buy this book (ideally the publisher) and READ IT NOW.
I’m picky AF about books, those that I give an unreserved five-star score to and want to leap up and down on the top of a building for? Yeah. They’re GOOD.
I’d like to say I’m without words at how wonderful this book is, but it’s honestly just that I have SO MANY positive words about it that I’m having trouble expressing myself.
This book wrecked me in all the best ways possible.
It made me curse the author, it made me so flipping MAD, I cried, sniffly sort of crying and the ugly sobbing sort of crying. I laughed, snickered, and snorted a few times too, and at the end? I hugged my tablet to my chest and I’ve been walking around with the goofiest grin on my face since.
​
I loved it so much.

Even if reading it did make me forget to eat two meals and I forgot to drink my tea.
It gave me many things I didn’t know I needed to see on-page until I read them.
Trans rep– there is a whole chapter about one of the MCs that so clearly echoes exactly how I feel about my physical form some days that I cried to read it. I needed that. I needed a happy ever after kind of story for a trans person who had to choose not to be in contact with their family because of not being loved for who I am. I needed this book so very much and I didn’t know HOW MUCH I needed it until I read it.
Ace rep– I’m a sex-positive ace, but it’s rare as hen’s teeth to find ace rep of any kind, (thank goodness this is changing) and seeing the way the author deals with a sex-repulsed ace was still healing to me because she was there, on page, and her needs were respected and met. (There IS sex in this book, on page, erotic sex, but it’s not for the ace side character.)
Pain rep/cane use– I have chronic pain and use a cane and the way pain is handled in this book is so accurate, it’s perfect. (It’s pain from an injury, but the way the MC deals with it is true to my experience.)
Fat positivity– Fat characters are also spoken of in a positive light. I liked that too.
Bisexual representation!– On page bisexual representation. Bisexual GUY on page rep and the story isn’t ABOUT being bi, they just are. Love to see that.
World building- Very gritty, realistic historical fantasy type world building.
The story itself and the author’s voice is enveloping, powerful, beautiful, and lyrical.
I especially enjoyed the unique descriptive qualities to the characters, unusual choices of words can be so lovely if used well.
In dual PoV books, it can be hard to nail the two different character voices, the author nailed it in this one. I loved the very different feeling to each of the two PoV MCs, side characters were as well developed and written as the MCs.
I want more books out in the world like this and I want it now.
Content warning on graphic battle scenes, graphic shape change scenes. (I loved them, but I love gore in book/movies.)
Content warning on a (very few, I wasn’t counting, but like three, I think) usages of ableist language for self-labeling.

SCORES
Readability: 5 of 5  Though I pre-ordered this book, I waited to read it until I knew I’d have time to finish in one sitting. I’d heard it was really good, and I know what I’m like with a good book. I wasn’t wrong, life pulled me away the first two times I tried to read this (over the past two days) but I managed to read from about chapter 3 to the end today and OMG. What a freaking amazing ride. This is not the kind of book that you’ll be able to read just a chapter a night, it’s just that great.

Arcs: 5 of 5  It’s a little mermaid retelling, so I knew sort of what would happen, the author stuck true to the tale as far as the details, but brought a completely unique and fresh perspective to it. The tension leading up to the first turning point and then again to the climax were so masterfully done that my heart was in my throat in both places. The climax itself had me cussing out the author. SERIOUSLY. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO BREAK MY HEART. But I’m glad you did, cause you sewed it up again, better.

Craft: 5 of 5  I need more stars for rating Ninestarpress’s books. I caught ONE typo, that’s it. I would’ve liked to see a little less passive voice, but there were really only maybe four sentences I caught it in that could’ve been more strongly worded (and as y’all know, passive voice is my Achilles heel in reading (writing too) so I have an unreasoning hatred for it. Four sentences of passive voice is far and away better than anything big 5 is putting out these days (barring some few authors who I will sell a kidney to buy their work if needed). This book is excellent, and it’s one I’m so happy I bought and own cause it’s definitely going to go into the re-read often pile. I might even buy a second bound-copy, because I want one.
Go on now, I wouldn’t steer you wrong, go buy the thing!

Remember if you buy directly from the publisher, the pub and author both get more money so they can keep bringing you more books.

Ninestar Press 
Amazon

Don’t forget to review! Reviews sell books for authors. 
Add it to your TBR on Goodreads here.
​

As an extra, Matthew was kind enough to give me a character interview for one of my favorite side characters, Doktor Karl Hauser, you can read that here.

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DALI - Reviewed by Kaelan

5/11/2017

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Dali-f500

BLURB

Dalí Tamareia has everything—a young family and a promising career as an Ambassador in the Sol Fed Diplomatic Corps. Dalí’s path as a peacemaker seems clear, but when their loved ones are killed in a terrorist attack, grief sends the genderfluid changeling into a spiral of self-destruction.

Fragile Sol Fed balances on the brink of war with a plundering alien race. Their skills with galactic relations are desperately needed to broker a protective alliance, but in mourning, Dalí no longer cares, seeking oblivion at the bottom of a bottle, in the arms of a faceless lover, or at the end of a knife.

The New Puritan Movement is rising to power within the government, preaching strict genetic counseling and galactic isolation to ensure survival of the endangered human race. Third gender citizens like Dalí don’t fit the mold of this perfect plan, and the NPM will stop at nothing to make their vision become reality. When Dalí stumbles into a plot threatening changelings like them, a shadow organization called the Penumbra recruits them for a rescue mission full of danger, sex, and intrigue, giving Dalí purpose again.

Risky liaisons with a sexy, charismatic pirate lord could be Dalí’s undoing—and the only way to prevent another deadly act of domestic terrorism.

REVIEW

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book. Wow.

Y'all know by now that I am picky AF about reading. I work hard at my craft (both the writing part and the editing part) so when I want to stand on top of a rooftop and jump up and down shouting BUY THIS BOOK!?

You know it really impressed me.

1st. Genderfluid & third gender Main Character(MC). Can I just say I want to be like Dalí and leave it at that? No? Well. I adore how Dalí could just be their neutral self or more male presenting or more female depending on need or desire. It's just fantastic and handled so beautifully that it speaks to me on my deepest non-binary levels. It's so gorgeous. I needed this book and didn't know I needed it until I read it.

2nd. Princess Bride references. Anyone who loves one of my fav movies this much is worth reading. Anything else is inconceivable. I laughed so hard at some of the references. The author made it believable within the story line of a futuristic space opera too.

3rd. Pacing. I think maybe four books have kept me up past my bedtime in 2017. This is number four and ugh, I dropped my tablet on my face so many times I actually lost count. I really am going to break my nose (again) one of these days.

4th. Bisexual Representation!!! On PAGE. And it's not a story of angst or acceptance or of finding oneself. Those are great stories, but Dalí is Bi, already, and it's normal and beautiful and perfect. I adore it.

5th. Worldbuilding and awesome characters. I really loved the different alien races, and bemoaned the fact that I can't draw well enough to capture them all so I can do fan-art. (I really wish I could draw) the world is believably futuristic and could so easily come out of where we are now.

6th. Dalí is mixed-race. I'm mixed race, I've rarely seen it in fiction (I can count on the fingers of one hand things I've read that aren't my own writing with mixed-race characters.) I did kinda cringe at the one use of 'almond-eyed' but it's commonly used and it didn't ruin the experience for me.

Basically, just go buy this book and read it. I loved it so much and I really hope there's more to come with these characters.

SCORES

Readability: 5/5 star-1586412_1920 I stayed up until 5am when I had to work the next day. I kept saying to myself... just get to a stopping place, then stop for the night. EVERY time I thought I'd gotten to a stopping place, another plot twist smacked me in the face and I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED! Arcs: 5/5 star-1586412_1920I did feel a little sad about how things went between Dalí and their later relationship in the story, but it works so perfectly for the book that there's really no other way it could've gone. The character arcs, friendship (you so rarely see friendship!) and story arcs are all well done.

Craft: 5/5 star-1586412_1920(I need more stars) I caught three errors through the whole book. One doubled word, two typos. Two instances of passive voice that I think were intentional for cadence. It's freaking excellent and one of those books I'm so happy to read because I can JUST READ. My editor brain stayed asleep. It's such a gift to have that these days.

Go, buy, do the thing.

If youbuy from the publisher directly, the author and the publisher get more money and they can keep providing you with more books like this one.

Or from Amazon.

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    ABOUT C.B.

    CURRENTLY ON HIATUS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDY AND WORK. 

    Book reviews, Author Q&As and more as shared by an Australian lesbian. My core interests lie in genre fiction: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror etc.
    ​
    My aim is to help provide more exposure to those books that  may not fit neatly into the usual "lesfic" boxes (EG: pansexual women who engage with different aspects of their sexuality, non-binary characters, books with very little romance etc.) or books that don't conform to the most popular tropes that tend to dominate the LGBTIQ+ publishing world.

    That said, I'll put up pretty much any review that I'd like to share. Most will have some sort of rainbow content, but not all. I am a reader who likes to talk about books -- that's really what this little corner of the web is for, to talk about books.

    ​Email: celestialbooks [AT] rebeccalangham.com.au


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