Read in January 2025
In January, I already made a dent in my intention to read more thick books that intimidate me, with two books of over 600 pages, one of which I finished completely and another that will not be finished until (hopefully) next month. But the biggest drivers for choosing my reading material in the first half of the month were the announcements of sequels to books from book subscriptions, for which matching special editions would be created. Because I no longer want to blindly buy a sequel out of FOMO, I had to hurry to read those first books, in order to be able to make an informed choice about whether or not to succumb to these new special editions.
In the end, I only finished 5 books in January, which makes the total number of 1758 pages seem a bit low compared to usual. But here’s another book I didn’t finish, in which I also read 208 pages before I gave up, and the book I’m in the middle of now, in which I’m already 300 pages in, but which is not even halfway through. Without counting those and therefore only looking at the completed books, the average January book comes to 352 pages/book.
With a first DNF under my belt, it was also a month of highs and lows as far as my ratings are concerned. Unfortunately, the DNF was not the only disappointment, but I tragically started 2025 with a 1-star, which was fortunately followed by a 5-star book. All in all, the average January book comes to 3.2 stars.
In terms of target group, I stayed nicely in my own lane, with 6 adult books, seven if I count the book I’m still reading.
As always, I also varied in reading method, 3 audiobooks and 3 bookshelf books.
For the genres, I switched between 4 genres, namely thriller (1), sci-fi (1), horror (1) and fantasy (3).
I did not vary in language, with only English-language books.
Below is the list of the books I read in January and my rating in stars.
Click on the link to jump to the blurb and my review! As always, be aware that both blurb and review may contain spoilers, especially if it concerns sequels in a series! Sometimes I will also hide spoilers behind a fold-out text!
- Wells, Martha – Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) 🎧 ★
- Gwynne, John – Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1) ★★★★★
- Chan, Eliza – Fathomfolk (Drowned World #1) (DNF)
- Swanson, Peter – A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3) 🎧 ★★★★
- El-Arifi, Saara – Faebound (Faebound #1) ★★★
- Starling, Caitlin – Yellow Jessamine 🎧 ★★★
🎧 Wells, Martha – Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) ★
Genre: Sci-Fi
It worries about the fragile human crew who’ve grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.
It tells itself that they’re only a professional obligation, but when they’re captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.
Drastic action it is, then.
Network Effect is the first fully developed novel for Murderbot, a character I have come to love over the course of the novella series. Unfortunately, this novel proved to be an unsatisfying and frustrating experience.
I started reading the book in physical form, but soon found myself struggling to stay focused. In an attempt to salvage the experience, I switched to audiobook. While this reading format made it somewhat easier to get through the story, it did nothing to solve my problems with the book.
After enjoying the previous novella, I thought I had finally warmed up to Martha Wells’s storytelling style. Network Effect proved otherwise: the last novella was the exception in the series for me. Where I could be forgiving of the unremarkable, not-so-interesting stories in the novellas — their brevity made for easy, fun interludes — I found nothing healing in the same story concept in long form. The story felt repetitive and tedious. Despite my love for Murderbot as a character and concept, the plot failed to engage me at all.
The extensive cast of characters also fell flat for me. Apart from Murderbot (and perhaps ART), none of the other characters stood out. The human characters, even the recurring names, blended together into an indistinct blur of “non-AI” characters in my head. Whenever names were mentioned, I often had no idea who they were, and I was so uninterested that I couldn’t be bothered to look it up either. This detachment illustrates even more clearly how little I was invested in the plot.
Another stumbling block for me remains the writing style. The long-winded explanations of every move Murderbot makes made it difficult to stay focused, even with Murderbot’s often humorous and sarcastic observations thrown in. These moments of wit were simply not enough to break the monotony of the rest.
So yeah, only the character of Murderbot (and ART to a lesser extent too, although he was different here than before) was a bright spot. Especially the scenes where he struggles with emotions and tries to describe his relationship with ART were the gold nuggets in an otherwise monotonous story.
Now that I’ve finished Network Effect, I’ve decided to call an end to my journey with this series. Although I only have to read one more full novel in the series to be caught up, I just can’t muster the enthusiasm. Maybe I’ll give a Martha Wells standalone novella a chance in the future, but my expectations are rather low.
Overall, I think I’ll just have to accept that Martha Wells’ writing and narrative style aren’t for me. I’ve never really been blown away by The Murderbot Diaries and my experience with her Witch King has only confirmed my dislike for her writing. So it’s high time I stop pushing myself to try and enjoy something just because so many others do. Sometimes a beloved series just doesn’t fit me – and that’s perfectly okay.
Gwynne, John – Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen #1) ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy (adult)
Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.
The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.
High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.
You could already read my review for this excellent book here.
Chan, Eliza – Fathomfolk (Drowned World #1) (DNF)
Genre: Fantasy (adult)
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
DNF after 208 pages
I gave Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan a fair shot, reaching the halfway mark before deciding to set it aside. While the premise of a world teeming with mythical water creatures initially intrigued me, the execution left much to be desired. The world-building was vague and inconsistent — characters alternated between above-water and underwater settings without clarity or distinction, and the plethora of name-dropped creatures felt more like a scattered list from mythology than a cohesive part of the story. Despite the stunning cover art hinting at a lush, vibrant world, the narrative failed to live up to that promise.
The characters, unfortunately, were just as underdeveloped. They came across as one-dimensional archetypes rather than fully realized individuals, and I struggled to connect with or care about their motivations. The writing itself was verbose yet lacking substance, with clunky dialogue and an uneven flow that made the story feel directionless. Even themes of discrimination and belonging, which had the potential for depth, were handled in a way that felt jumbled and superficial.
Ultimately, Fathomfolk felt like a missed opportunity. The intriguing concept of a submerged world populated by diverse mythical beings was reduced to humans-with-gills navigating a poorly explained setting. Combined with a lack of intrigue and emotional investment, this book failed to hold my interest, leading me to stop at the halfway point. It therefore goes without saying that I will not purchase the sequel from Illumicrate, no matter how beautiful I think the edition is.
🎧 Swanson, Peter – A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3) ★★★★
Genre: Thriller
A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.
Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.
Peter Swanson delivers another wild ride with this quick, riveting, and compulsively readable thriller. His knack for crafting dark, twisty tales filled with complex, morally ambiguous characters is on full display here. The layered motives of the cast kept me guessing until the end.
From start to finish, a sense of impending dread hangs over the story as Swanson explores the unsettling depths of human darkness. Honestly, I don’t know how he keeps coming up with so many psychopaths — it’s both impressive and a little alarming, lol.
While some twists echo his earlier works, they’re no less effective here. Swanson knows how to misdirect and shock his readers, and I loved how he tied everything up in the end – morally messy but immensely satisfying, leaving no loose threads.
Quite a clever, dark, and fun read.
El-Arifi, Saara – Faebound (Faebound #1) ★★★
Genre: Fantasy (adult)
Yeeran is a colonel in the elven army and has known nothing but a life of violence and hardship. Her sister, Lettle, is a diviner whose magic promises a different future for her and her sister, but the prophecies have yet come to pass.
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, Lettle, fearful for her sister’s life, follows her into the uncharted territory beyond their borders. In the wilderness the sisters encounter the largest obeah they have ever seen. Part leopard, part stag, the obeah’s magic is harnessed to make weapons for the elven war. It is during this hunt that they are confronted with the impossible: a group of fae who take them captive. Imprisoned in a new land, they must navigate the politics of the fae court all while planning their escape.
Now Yeeran and Lettle are fighting a different kind of war: between their loyalty to their elven homeland and the intoxicating world of the fae, between what duty decrees is right, and what their hearts tell them they need.
The most captivating aspect of Faebound was, without a doubt, its worldbuilding. The snippets of “The Story of the Wheat, the Bat, and the Water” were particularly gripping, adding a layer of myth and intrigue that kept me engaged. While I wished for a bit more depth in some areas, the imaginative setting and diverse cast of characters made for a compelling backdrop. I especially appreciated how the characters’ differences were naturally woven into the story rather than becoming its central focus.
However, where the worldbuilding shone, the plot progression fell short. The story followed a predictable path, which made it feel slow at times. The prophecies, though intriguing, were framed in a way that telegraphed their outcomes too early, reducing the impact of later revelations. Instead of delivering moments of shock and surprise, the narrative often unfolded exactly as expected, lessening the tension and excitement.
As the book neared its conclusion, the pacing took a sharp turn in the opposite direction, rushing through critical developments too quickly. Major reveals stacked up in rapid succession, leaving little room to fully absorb or connect with them. This breakneck pacing in the final stretch made what should have been emotional or high-stakes moments feel fleeting rather than impactful.
On the subject of emotional connection, I found it difficult to become truly invested in the characters and their relationships. The romance, in particular, lacked the depth and chemistry needed to make it compelling, which left it feeling somewhat hollow.
Despite these shortcomings, Faebound remained an engaging read, thanks to its rich atmosphere and fascinating world. While it didn’t leave a lasting emotional imprint on me, I enjoyed the journey through its beautifully crafted setting. And though the execution wasn’t perfect, the promise of this world is enough to make me curious about where the sequel will take the story next.
🎧 Starling, Caitlin – Yellow Jessamine ★★★
Genre: Horror (novella)
When one of her ships arrives in dock, she counts herself lucky that it made it through the military blockades slowly strangling her city. But one by one, the crew fall ill with a mysterious sickness: an intense light in their eyes and obsessive behavior, followed by a catatonic stupor. Even as Evelyn works to exonerate her company of bringing plague into her besieged capital city, more and more cases develop, and the afflicted all share one singular obsession: her.
Panicked and paranoid, she retreats to her estate, which rests on a foundation of secrets: the deaths of her family, the poisons and cures that hasten the dissolution of the remaining upper classes, and a rebel soldier, incapacitated and held hostage in a desperate bid for information. But the afflicted are closing in on her, and bringing the attention of the law with them. Evelyn must unearth her connection to the spreading illness, and fast, before it takes root inside her home and destroys all that she has built.
Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling is a disconcerting and ominous gothic novella that excels in creating an atmospheric, haunting, and oppressive environment. The story is filled with mounting fear and claustrophobia, making it both intriguing and unsettling.
One of the highlights of the book is the brilliant portrayal of the possessed people, which I found incredibly creepy. The slow reveal of the main character’s backstory is well-executed, building tension and intrigue. However, there are moments where the character’s cunning and calculating persona felt contradictory to some of the more thoughtless decisions she made. This could be attributed to her panic, but it still didn’t feel very convincing.
I found the writing to be confusing at times, almost as if it were only an outline. This is particularly evident in the ending, where the reveal suffers from a lack of clarity. The story starts strong, establishing an eerie and atmospheric setting, but it declines as it progresses. While the increasing sense of paranoid frenzy is engaging, it becomes too confusing and hard to follow towards the end, with a conclusion that felt rushed and underdeveloped.
Despite these issues, Yellow Jessamine was an atmospheric and eerie read that kept me on edge. It did leave me slightly wanting a more comprehensible and coherent explanation, but overall it certainly succeeded in delivering a haunting and immersive experience.
