Welcome to Litsy!

I was hesitant to read this because of how dark the last Yoon Ha Lee book I read was, but I‘m glad I did because I loved it. The paint magic system was alarming and awesome, and the unexpected connections were interesting throughout. Loved the tie-ins with Korean folklore and the non-binary rep. I wish things with Hawk had been a little more developed. #LGBTQ #Korean #Art #Magic I read this for @PuddleJumper ‘s #roll100

My #Roll100 picks for May! I don‘t think I read a single one of my April picks (but I have one borrowed on audiobook that I plan to read soon). I‘m in the process of packing up to move at the end of May, and my work keeps spilling out into my regular life, so I haven‘t been reading as much.

Jebi just wanted to paint. Unfortunately, a trapped mech dragon and revolution are going to make their dreams much more difficult.

This was fun! An enby protagonist, difficult sibling relationships, fascinating world building, Revolution, magic using paint and art! I do wish the romance had been fleshed out more, and the pacing felt a little uneven. But overall, very enjoyable, and I‘m definitely going to look up more by Lee! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Sharing some of my favorite genre-defying sci-fi over on Book Riot today

https://bookriot.com/genre-defying-sci-fi-books/

4/5

This was such a good, short read. The world building with magic pigments that bring automaton to life was fascinating, and I loved that this story in a world full of war, conquest, and colonization was told through the perspective of an artist, not a traditional fighter.

I was seduced by this cover. Fortunately the book within is equally exciting and memorable. An alt-hist influenced by the occupation of Korea by Japan in the early 20th century. It features Automata, Art, twisty political machinations, romance, family conflict over assimilating with invaders, dueling, revolution, and a they/them protagonist whose journey has nothing to do with they being they/them. Oh and of course a really great dragon.

The use of “they“ is sometimes throwing me off that I have to reread the paragraph again, but so far, the writing is familiar even though it is my first Yoon Ha Lee book.

But if wishes were wings, all the world would fly.

Another #TBR for this month

😲 It's already July on my side of the world...

Looks like the fiction pile is heavier than my non-fiction pile this month ⚖️📖

I enjoyed this, but I'm still not entirely sure what I think. Part of me was expecting something more like the Hexarchate books, while this is much... well, easier for me at least to grasp pretty much all the concepts. I did like it, though.

Looking forward to reading more of this once my exam is over... Will hopefully be sitting it tomorrow. I did sneak in some reading today and it's getting toward what I guess is the main plot stuff now, though. 👀

So far, I'm not getting sucked into this, but I'm sure it's going to happen. I love that the protagonist uses the same pronouns as me.

Did some work to add a bunch of new books to my shelves and it's looking like it *might* be time to add a third shelf 😅🙈

#WyrdAndWonder day 7 | fantasy from around the world

I grew up on Tolkien and a raft of vaguely European mediaeval fantasy; I love reading fantasy inspired by other cultures and periods. Today‘s stack includes West African mythology, 20th century China, Malaysia & Korea, Mughal India, and the Pueblo cultures of North America

It may have been basically the only thing I got done today, and I know I'll inevitable rearrange them several times but I still feel pretty good about the two of us

Finished this one on the train. Love a non-binary mc, and a robo dragon. All the fantasy elements were really cool and the world building, at least of the main city, was so good. End confused me a little but worth it.

Calling all SFF fans! This book about a magically animated mechanical dragon and the painter kidnapped to create new instructions for it is so incredibly compelling I've barely been able to put it down (even during a very busy week). Yoon Ha Lee's writing is masterful. I loved the melding of magic and machinery and the fact that the POV character uses they/them pronouns. Can't recommend this one enough!

Wishing everyone good things and rest today and a book as good as the one I'm reading

Reading + Rockettes

Reading and dog cuddles

1. Phoenix Extravagant, Blazewrath Games, and Once and Future Witches

2. Physical book: The Year of the Witching (overdue to return oops)
Ebook: Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch

3. Lots lol. For our dad @sebrittainclark and I are getting the Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anthologies

#WeekendReads

Reading snuggles

No automata dragons yet, but really enjoying this book so far and love that it's from the POV of a nonbinary character

Was able and up for setting aside a few minutes of dedicated reading time this morning and finished the first chapter of the second dragon book I'm reading at the moment, Phoenix Extravagant.

Finally reading this gorgeous beast and aaahhhh it‘s so different to Machineries of Empire, but so lovely. Jebi is a bit of an asshat but also a cinnamon roll; and we a mechanical dragon, tricky themes, awkward family relationships, and a sniff of forbidden romance - I think I‘m set for glorious melodrama!

This is a compelling blend of technology and magic, filled with art, rebellion, lust, love, plot twists, and complex characters. I highly recommend it if you like non-binary protagonists, dragons, getting paid for your art, and the allure of a duel.

Here are all the books I'm waiting to be published this year. Here's hoping they still do, despite of it all. 🙄