Mel (Epic Reading) > Recent Status Updates

Officially in this one. Not just ‘bookmark in it ready’. Lol.

Kate Quinn is coming to talk about Astral Library in a month in my little ole Canadian city!!! So stoked.
Decided, because I will be able to get it signed at event, that was a good enough excuse to buy the fancy deluxe hardcover copy.
It’s so rare we get my fave (non-Canadian) authors so I’m pretty stoked on this one!

I’m surprised this is going to wrap up in another 150 pages… it feels like there could be a whole trilogy or more on this planet with Bess as our lead…

There is NOTHING retelling about this. It’s not even a little bit Oz… minus our lead gals name being Dorothy and a minor use of a ‘scarecrow’ idea it’s got nothing. I’m sooo frustrated. Feels like the worst marketing…

Hmmm… not an overly likeable Dorothy so far…

Am I savouring this… yes, yes I am. My own print copy now in hand so I don’t have to rush for a library deadline.

BOOM!
Gotta love when there’s a sudden convergence and you go ‘I knew it!’ 🙃😃

This has really gotten wilder than expected. I think this town might be on a hellmouth… but I LOVE that the dog is in almost every story. He’s the best.

Part 4 - these (plot) bombs dropped at the end of each part are startling!! I thought I had some ideas of how things tied together, I was at least a bit wrong based on what we just learned. Crazy! (And love it)

So… I went and bought a copy of this for myself today. Returning my library one; it’s already so good I can’t imagine not putting it on my shelf. Carey rarely lets me down (I think #2 of gifts duology was his worst and even then not that bad). This probably solidifies him into my ‘must buy’ author list. An elite place to be.

Part 3 - it intrigues me that the secondary POV is sooo unknown, barely can follow what they are thinking, although on this last brief encounter I think I know where (at any rate) now. I’m starting to maybe see what might eventually come together between the two POVs but I’m grasping at straws mostly.
It occurred to me there is no chapter or page number listing in print copy. Carey wants the reader oblivious…

I had to find a book published in the 1970s for a reading prompt I’ve been avoided for months!! So I went to my out of control TBR print shelf and found a couple that met the criteria. This one won the pick battle. So here we go with a classic that I hope lives up to its rep.

Each story being a different writer (although all set in same town) is not as jarring as I expected. It’s clear a lot of care went into having each story feel like a part of the next.

Well Connor/Palmiotti story was pretty funny. The next couple were better than the ones just before but still meh. I’ve realized this was published before even vol 3 was around… so the narrative to play with wasn’t as good as it is today. Thus I’m trying not to have too high expectations for the last couple stories.

Love my Canadian fiction that mentions my city! :)
In fairness it is the largest city in proximity to where our small town appears to be. Which I think is likely what is now Waterton…

Well the art is good but most of the mini stories in this art meh. The first two were good and so far the rest have been very blah.
Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s story is up next so I’m hoping it will make it worth the read!

Well… I’ve decided to carry on even if I should have read Infinity Gate first… I’m too invested in Bess to stop now. ;)

I love how many amazing artists are represented in these short stories!

Well crap… I’ve just learned this book takes place after a the duology I haven’t read yet!! Do I stop and pick that up first? Or do I risk spoilers for it (as I plan to read it and have it on my shelf) and carry on?! Ugh I wish I had known before going in… :(

Part I - done
This is so much more than a space western! Carey is creating a rich, historic experience full of civil war, injustices, and a little bit of love. Most importantly the gun has now spoken and I love it. For no other reason than it’s a gun with a voice.

Carey is pushing my vocabulary as always. ‘exophthalmic’ - protruding or exuding eyes.
These animal people have me imagining Zootopia characters. ;)

Is Carey trying to kill me? 464 pages and only 8 parts… no chapters. This is going to be dense… I sure it’s good enough to keep my attention!

I need a change of pace… so let’s shoot some stuff up!
I love weapons with names.

So this is cute… almost too cute? And just a bit too superfluous. Did I really need our MC story again in a narrative form she tells someone else? Not sure I learned much from it… and it could have been cut with her revelation written a different way.
I dunno if it was me I’d have edited this very differently for content.

So glad that here on Goodreads I can have friends who label a book sexually graphic and gross; next to those who label it as amazing! Lol. I appreciate both sides of the token… and everyone has a line they won’t cross; but a lot of us (like me) our line is much farther over than most. 😅🙃

By telling us the initial story the whole plot is (presumably) given away. Thus I’m a bit bored…

Hardest thing to do… really truly limit the number of eARCs I request. Like physically stop myself from clicking the request button. I MUST be more realistic, it’s only fair to authors, publishers, and myself!
I just want to read ALL of the books!!! When can I quit my full time, mortgage and food paying, job to read full time?! 😅

There is far too many little fairy tale comments in here. I don’t need like 5 of them a chapter. And I certainly don’t need our MC thinking about all the things something ‘could be’ and listing them off (ie; poisoned apple, glass coffin, etc.). It’s just too much. Kingfisher does it better with her subtle references.
I’m still enjoying this just not as much as I could.

Feels like it’s trying too hard…