The Listeners, Maggie Stiefvater

Book Title: The Listeners

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Date Started: February 13th  2025

Date Completed: February 26th 2025

Genres: Magical Realism, Historical, Thriller

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Five Star

Final Rating: Five Stars

Review:

◆ Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook for review ◆

Of course, The Listeners has fascinating subject matter, well played with; a luxury hotel in the mountains turned indulgent prison (and at some times, a stage) for the opposition's diplomats during the early Second World War. But that's all really just the backdrop to a story about how people pretend, present and project themselves onto those around them, and what those people do in response.

Plot-wise, the start has a lot of exciting paths being shown to us, then there's slow-going progress through the middle before the satisfying and rousing finale in the last 15%. The final twist could've used a bit more buildup, but overall I was hooked almost the whole way through. Stiefvater also presents a fantastic use of magical realism to make the story feel full, to materialise these feelings of utter loss and dread and listlessness and steadfastness in a world falling apart, and a cast of characters screaming into the void as it happens.

I am utterly in love with the neurodivergent representation, so seamlessly in place. It's never called that, or really given a name at all, but it resounded so true and personally with me, and clearly what Stiefvater was intending. The power and respect June has, and the 'unusual' parts of how she thinks that make it possible, fills my heart. As a protagonist, she is idealistic and insightful and unmoving, but also not infallible and scared and stubborn. What an adaptation this would make if done well.

I was dithering between 4 or 5 stars for this book while reading - it's a great concept, creatively told, but dawdles in the middle and almost falls into the listlessness of literary fiction. But, actually, I haven't felt this moved in a way I can't articulate in a long time; so 5 stars it is.

Sunbringer, Hannah Kaner

Book Title: Sunbringer

Author: Hannah Kaner

Series: Fallen Gods #2

Date Started: February 1st  2025

Date Completed: February 13th 2025

Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Action

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Four Star

Final Rating: Four Stars

Review:

I fell in love with Godkiller last year, and had to reason with myself to pace out this second book so I wasn't waiting too long for the third to come out, and I think that actually deepens the connection to the story. This world gets bigger with every page, the street corners become clearer, the details bloom with each word. To binge this series would be a disservice to its weight that follows you around for days after you finish it.

I love that Kaner is confident enough to have a whole novel where the characters are separated, and still keep their arcs at the heart of the ever-growing world. The conflict and the politics, no matter where you stand, clash in a startlingly realistic power struggle, and Kissen, Elo and Inara (and Skedi of course) are our anchors. Everything is a grey area, everyone's choices have consequences; you can only do right by yourself and trust others to make their own choices wisely.

The twists aren't satisfying because you see them coming, but more because you're so busy enjoying yourself you aren't racing to catch it before its time. There's a magic to welcoming in your reader so gently that they're at the mercy of whatever story you want to tell them. Suppose you step back and look at things academically. In that case, this novel isn't too far away from falling into the classic 'middle book' trench of filler to get characters to a place to begin the final stand - but the difference is the pieces being moved on the board have purpose, motivation and high-strung emotions. Pushing them towards the end has just as much substance as any battle scene.

Even with the high tension standard, Kaner can turn it up more notches than you could ever see coming. Be it through action so cinematic it gets your pulse racing, or deus ex machina so ethereal you can almost feel the wind on your skin, events pitch up and up towards a well-resolved end but promise far more to come.

Only Human, Sylvain Neuvel

Book Title: Only Human

Author: Sylvain Neuvel

Series: Themis Files #3

Date Started: January 27th  2025

Date Completed: February 1st 2025

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Two Star

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

◆ Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook for review ◆

I’ve never been able to settle into science fiction literature, and while the first book in this series had a mythic/fairytale quality that I liked, the trilogy has progressed into pure sci fi (which is absolutely fine, I’ve just found my attention waning unfortunately).

That being said, there were three things that kept sticking out to me reading this; the transcript style often doesn’t lend itself to the drama the story seems to need, the characters can often very flippant with their generation of countries (I get some of them are supposed to be bad people but even the main cast do it), and - most importantly - I don’t buy the melodramatic father/daughter drama for a second, it’s far too shallow and performative on both sides.

I miss Rose being the main character, and I miss Kara all around. I think that, for me, was why almost all the beats in Only Humans just didn’t hit; there didn’t seem to be an emotional anchor in the way the other books had. I’ve read a lot of books about governments turning into facist world-ending adrenaline junkies and having a field day being corrupt politicians, whether it’s against aliens or the lower classes or each other. I want to pay more attention to the people standing against them.