Tag: LGBTQIA+

“Autistic and Black” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Autistic and Black: Our Experiences of Growth, Progress and Empowerment” by Kala Allen Omeiza

In this powerful insight into the lives of Black autistic people, Kala Allen Omeiza brings together a community of voices from across the world, spanning religions, sexuality and social economic status to provide a deep and rich understanding of what it means to be autistic and Black.

Exploring everything from self-love and appreciation, to the harsh realities of police brutality, anti-Black racism, and barriers to care, as well as amplifying the voices of the inspiring advocates who actively work towards change, protection, and acceptance for themselves and others, this book is an empowering force, reminding you that as a Black autistic person, you are enough.

Review

This book is a really good look at the realities of being both Autistic and Black. I feel like this is a really important book for people to read along with the books “NeuroTribes” by Steve Silberman and “We’re Not Broken” by Eric Garcia as it adds additional perspectives to the conversation about autism and how it impacts people differently. There are a lot of great interviews and stories in this book. I thought the author did a great job providing a variety of perspectives. There are Black Autistic individuals from various locations in Africa as well as the United Kingdom and the United States. There are also people of different ages, including children as young as 9. The author does a good job making sure their point of view is expressed without interference or assumptions. There is a good mixture of how individuals view autism and how it has impacted their lives for good and bad. It also has a reminder of the multiple reasons why person first language is sometimes necessary. It can be a matter of safety to avoid calling attention to any perceived difference – especially for Black and Brown individuals who may already be viewed with suspicion by authorities.

Book Details

The cover of Autistic and Black is various shades of orange in red in with a pale orange outline and then a darker orange middle with the title and subtitle at the top casing a darker red shadow diagonally down and to the right. There is a diagonal line resulting from this across the page and at the bottom a little orange snail is making its way upwards. The Authors name is at the bottom.

Author’s Website
Kala Allen Omeiza
Publisher / Date
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, February 2024
Genre
Essay Collection
Page Count
224
Completion Date
October 3, 2025

“The Ending Fire” Review

Posted on by Jen

“The Ending Fire” (The Ending Fire Trilogy No. 3) by Saara El-Arifi

The Wardens’ Empire is falling. A vigilante known only as the “Truthsayer” is raising an army against the wardens. Sylah and Hassa must navigate the politics of this new world, all the while searching for Anoor.

Across the sea the Blood Forged prepare for war, requesting aid from other governments. Jond’s role as Major General sees him training their soldiers for combat, but it’s matters of the heart that prove to be the hardest battlefield.

The Zalaam celebrate the arrival of the Child of Fire, heralding the start of the final battle. Anoor’s doubts are eclipsed by the powers of her new god. Soon the Zalaam set off on their last voyage–one few expect to return from.

Review

I thought this was a good conclusion to the trilogy with a lot of things happening all at once. I really enjoyed the different point of views in the book and the way things developed for the characters. There were several things happening throughout the book to bring things to the final confrontation and I thought it was well done. I did like the ending and I felt like it was a good one for most of the characters involved. That said I was a little baffled by the ending for two of the characters and felt like it was a little too vague in the sense that we don’t fully know what happened to them.

Additional reviews and warnings can be found on the StoryGraph page for “The Ending Fire”.

Book Details

The cover is taken up by a white tile pattern that has a gold stripe through the bottom half and gold fire at the top right and bottom left corners. The title is written in the center the authors name at the bottom.

Author’s Website
Saara El-Arifi
Publisher / Date
Del Ray, September 2024
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
464
Completion Date
September 26, 2025

“The Iron Garden Sutra” Review

Posted on by Jen

“The Iron Garden Sutra” by A.D. Sui

Vessel Iris has devoted himself to the Starlit Order, performing funeral rites for the dead across the galaxy, guiding souls back into the Infinite Light. Despite the comfort he wants to believe he brings to the dead, his relationships with his fellow Vessels are distant at best, leaving him reliant on his AI implant for companionship.

The spaceship Counsel of Nicaea has been lost for more than a thousand years. A relic of Earth’s dying past, humanity took the ship to the stars on a multi-generation journey to find another habitable planet yet never reached its destination. Its sudden appearance has attracted a team of academics eager to investigate its archeological history. And Iris has been assigned to bring peace to the crew’s long departed souls.

Carpeted in moss and intertwined with vines, Nicaea is more forest than ship. But Nicaea’s plant life isn’t the only sentience to have survived in the past millennia. Something onboard is stalking the explorers one by one. And Iris with his AI enhancement may be their only hope for survival. . .

Review

This was such a great read! I really loved the worldbuilding and the character developments throughout the book. Iris was such an interesting character to get know along with his AI companion. It’s interesting reading about a character having an AI companion considering what’s going on today but I liked the way the author handled the whole situation. I really liked the way Iris ended up developing various connections and relationships with everyone in the group (especially one character). I really enjoyed the way various histories of the characters ended up being told as they got to know each other.

I thought the balance of character development and solving the actual mystery of the ship was well done. Things happened in a way that necessitated characters talking to each other in a way that made sense. The potential story of that happened on the ship in the past is all too realistic given how generational knowledge is lost over the years. The way everything worked out was also interesting. I did wish for confirmation on one plot, but it’s okay that it was not shown. I also liked the way a specific relationship developed and the way things played out even if the ending felt too abrupt. I did think it made sense given the rest of the story that whatever might happen next was not the focus of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erewhon Books and A.D. Sui for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details

The cover of the book is yellow with two circles with various spheres on top in orbit around a space station with multiple modules. Below the circles is a triangular shape with a human skull over it and red vines growing around it. The title is written one word on each line down the center with the author's name at the bottom.

Author’s Website
A.D. Sui
Publisher / Date
Erewhon Books, February 2026
Genre
Science Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Page Count
384
Completen Date
September 14, 2025

“The Battle Drum” Review

Posted on by Jen

“The Battle Drum” (The Ending Fire Trilogy No. 2) by Saara El-Arifi

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens’ Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn’t commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.

Hassa’s web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on a trail of crimes in the city. Her searching uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire’s past and present. Now, she must guard both her heart and her land.

Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision, does she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?

The three women find their answers, but they’re not the answers they wanted. The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world.

Review

I thought this was a good sequel to the first book. I enjoyed learning more about the characters and seeing how they were working to find their answers. Naturally being the middle book of a trilogy it was mostly information gathering and building on prior knowledge before the conclusion. Some things were more frustrating than others but I enjoyed it.

Additional reviews and warnings can be found on the StoryGraph page for “The Battle Drum”.

Book Details

The cover is taken up by a white with blue tinge tial pattern that has a blue strip through the bottom half and a blue design at the top The tile is written in the center the authors name at the bottom

Author’s Website
Saara El-Arifi
Publisher / Date
Del Ray, May 2023
Genre
Fantasy
Page Count
544
Completion Date
August 21, 2025

“Ravenous State” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Ravenous State” (The Gifted of Brennex No. 3) by Jo Miles

Libbi Wilder is the good daughter. While her older siblings have traveled the galaxy having adventures, she’s stayed home to run the family store. Someone has to, after all.

Then a stranger shows up at the store, and people Libbi’s age—the Losts—start going missing. Libbi and her best friend Mixin set out to investigate, but so do her siblings, who swoop in to save the day without being asked, reigniting old resentments. Libbi knows she’ll always be the baby of the family, but if she can solve the disappearances, maybe she can finally win her siblings’ respect.

Except the truth behind the kidnappings is worse than she feared. With the long-held secret of their gifts now exposed, Libbi will have to rally the Losts—and harder still, work with her brother and sister—to save them from falling under Ravel Corporation’s control in this gripping conclusion to the Gifted of Brennex trilogy.

Review

This one was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed seeing all three of the siblings together. Libby is bit annoying at first, but a lot of her assumptions make sense, and it wasn’t like she was completely wrong either. I liked the way things worked out and that Libby was actually able to resolve a lot of her issues while helping to make sure things with Ravel and the Lost were resolved as well. The one thing Libby was always right about is that while her siblings were doing good work away from Brennex, there was still work that needed to be done on Brennex to help the Lost.

Ultimately I liked the way all of the characters had a part to play in this story and that in the end the siblings were able to resolve things and continue to do what they do best. I also liked the ending for Libby as well as she does realize exactly where she belongs. Something she’d struggled with figuring out because of the assumptions she’d previously had. I felt like this was a good ending for the trilogy with things mostly resolved but room for more – because the as always work is never done.

I also liked the way the author used the idea that disabled children are often seen as worthy of taking care of while disabled adults are seen as a burden who need extra money and resources that are taken away from others. The way things were playing out with the gifted of Brennex as they grew older and took more resources was the same way and it gets mentioned often. This is an area where Libby was right to be concerned and it made sense she would resent that her siblings had seemingly abandoned everyone.

Additional reviews and warnings can be found on the StoryGraph page for “Ravenous State”.

Book Details

The cover is yellow with what looks like an desert landscape at the bottom of the cover with multiple domed buildings and a transport bridge between them. In the background there is the black profile of a head over the sky looking towards the right. There is a space ship flying up and to the left with a trail of white light coming from the bottom.

Author’s Website
Jo Miles
Publisher / Date
Self Published, February 2024
Genre
Science Fiction
Page Count
490
Completion Date
August 10, 2025

“Dissonant State” Review

Posted on by Jen

“Dissonant State” (The Gifted of Brennex No. 2) by Jo Miles

Kay Wilder despises Ravel Corporation, whose occupation of her home planet left Kay with a useful but debilitating ability to hear others’ emotions. Unlike her brother Jasper, an activist who fights corporate injustice, Kay has always stayed as far away from the corporate states as possible.

Until now. Because Ravel has kidnapped her brother, and the only way Kay can help him is to go undercover working for the enemy. Assigned to help Ravel acquire a new member planet, Kay has to lie about what Ravel did to her home. It’s harder and lonelier than Kay could have imagined, until she finds an unexpected ally: a sentient ship who hates working for Ravel as much as she does, who will risk discovery and destruction to help their first and only friend. But the risks are far greater than Kay’s and Ship’s safety. Every day Kay works for Ravel takes them one step closer to completing the acquisition. To save Jasper, she may have to let another world suffer her home’s fate—and betray the cause her brother has risked his life for.

Review

I really enjoyed this one. Apprently the author originally wrote a version of this one first which explains a few things about the first book. There’s a characer who is much better developed in this book than the first one and not just because of the natural character development that would have happened anyway. Granted in this book he is more front and center than in the first one. Anyway I really liked Kay and friendship she develops with the ship. I don’t want to spoil the name of the ship, as it’s an important plot point, but I really liked the name they picked and the way that scene played out. A few things got a little tedious as Kay had to deal with working for Ravel to find her brother, but I liked the way things worked out in the end. Kay and the ship both learn things as does the original character I mentioned. It was good to see Jasper and Havoc again in the later parts of the book and I liked seeing the way they all interact. I really like the way the author has set up the plot threads of the books and the lead to the final book is clear.

Additional Reviews and Warnings can be found on the StoryGraph page for “Dissonant State”

Book Details

The cover is red with what looks like an desert landscape at the bottom of the cover with a few buildings around, with a moon and a star filled sky above it. In the background there is the black profile of a head over the sky looking towards the right. There is a space ship flying up and to the left with a trail of white light coming from the bottom.

Author’s Website
Jo Miles
Publisher / Date
Self Published, November 2023
Genre
Science Fiction
Page Count
361
Completion Date
August 8, 2025