The concept of the book is really interesting, I was excited to read it. It had decent reviews, too. However, it fell short big time. 

The beginning, and really most of the book, is extremely slow. This isn’t always a bad time, but it felt like nothing happened until the last quarter of the book. Once I hit the point where Yat died (the big plot moment), it got better. The middle made more sense, despite how slow it was. I never felt attached to the characters, I had absolutely no emotional connected. This really stunted it for me, because I couldn’t care less about what happens to them. 

The writing is very good at some points, but is mostly confusing. This book could really use a map of the world and a glossary of terms/places. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, and not because of the New Zealand dialect. I simply could not grasp the importance of any places or organizations. 

The biggest problem I had with the book was that the plot progressed so sporadically. The last quarter of the book springs so much lore and answers on the reader that it’s difficult to pick up. Also, it felt like it came out of nowhere. This story could have worked well with informations sprinkled throughout, but that didn’t happen. 

I pretty much only finished the book so I could read something else. I enjoyed the plot twist at the end and it was extremely surprising, but that doesn’t make the book good. I’m happy for those who enjoyed it, but this wasn’t for me. I won’t be reading the second book, unfortunately.

This was fun but not quite what I expected. I think the author has a lot of potential.

Some things that would have improved this book:
-a map
-consistent spelling of Tangata/Taangata/Tāngata
-not saying "it was the worst pain she ever felt" every time Yat experiences some kind of magical injury

Otherwise, there was a lot of inventive world-building that sometimes held together only with vibes but was nonetheless engaging. I liked the inspiration from Maori culture and hope that SFF only sees more influence and authors from various world cultures.

I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. The worldbuilding was exquisite, the characters were super well crafted, and the writing had me hooked. Even when I wasn't sure what was going on (and there were several times), I rolled with it because I knew the payoff would be worth it, and it was. 

The politics were there but pretty light-handed, the book focuses more on what we see through our PoV characters and how their understanding of the world, which changes as they learn through the course of the plot. I adored Yat, for all her flaws, and loved how her anxiety was portrayed throughout the book. Her powers are not a magic cure for it, but she does gain tools to manage and use it, and it was a perspective I appreciated a lot. 

The ending was satisfying while also leaving a major AHHHHH moment for the last few pages that makes me want the next book RIGHT NOW. I can't wait to see the ripple effects of what happened in this book play out, and see more of all these characters.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for a queer, action-heavy, weird as hell bio-punk story that knows exactly how to draw you in and make you want more RIGHT NOW.

Really mixed bag for me. Fantastic worldbuilding that I could read about for hours and hours more. Incredibly cool magic system. Interesting, fully realized main characters, but secondary characters that felt very flat. Huge A+ for casual queerness and disability rep. Lots of subtle humor that was so fun. But a plot that felt messy and difficult to keep track of - sometimes to the point of feeling nonexistent. Love the people and the vibes, but wanted much more going on.

I really enjoyed this queer, Māori, solarpunk sci-fi & fantasy adventure. As a sci-fi with fantasy elements, this book would be a good bridge for anyone looking to move into either genre from the other. I've had this book on my TBR for ages, but always found it difficult to start, partially because the first chapter is more of a prologue with a POV we don't see again. But the narrator, Anna Coddington, absolutely blew me away and heightened my enjoyment of this series with her New Zealand accent. I love an audiobook I try to listen to as much as possible. I loved the kiwi-isms as well, which gave the worldbuilding a refreshing twist. 

My one gripe with the book is that the action and plot is a little choppy due to its pace. This might be exasperated by reading this book as an audiobook. My only wish was that Stronach took a little more time to flesh out the world and to let the action happen over a longer period of time, the book's timeline takes over the place of a week (emphasised in the final chapters) which just jam packs all of the action. Maybe pacing the book over a month would have helped with the choppy feeling, if not for this aspect this book would have been a total 5 stars. 

Wheelhouses: queer main character (bisexual woman) who actively has sexual attraction for other ladies, complex and complicated main character, main character development arc, homophobia that is actually woven into the worldbuilding as opposed to being the assumed normal (not that I like homophobia), cop character

who has to reckon with that ACAB

, ACAB, fantasy/sci-fi that tackles systemic oppression issues, pirates!!!!, gay lady pirates!!!!, mushroom based horror elements.

 A truly outstanding and stand out biopunk queer read, The Dawnhounds has some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen, diverse characters, and a story that will make you cry one page and feel hopeful the next.
It's a toss-up between what I love more, the eclectic characters, or the world they live in. Wajet is my favorite character in this, I don't care that Yat didn't like him he's so damn charming. The whole premise of using plant life to live and build instead of steel or other materials is so fascinating. The mushroom houses are alive and feed off the sweat and dead skin cells of their inhabitants. My mind is just blown thinking about it.
The whole concept of immortality and losing yourself bit by bit is a trope I want to read more of. It is so well done in The Dawnhounds. The different Gods and myths meddling, there is so much symbolism and foreshadowing I want to reread it again to see what I missed.
Stronach's writing feels almost dreamlike and ethereal in certain moments. It's not so much you feel like you are transported into the world, but more so as different characters lose their minds you feel just as lost and trapped too. It is truly a book with so much heart and hope, no matter how tough it gets and how dire the situation seems, Yat never gives up.
There's also a cat in this book, so that's such a bonus.
This is a rare moment where I feel like the blurb didn't do the book justice at all. It is quite a dark and heavy book, I wish it mentioned that. (Also it's just freaking fantastic!) Yat is a drug addict, and has lost faith in literally everything, she is just basically on autopilot.
The inclusion of so many powerful queer characters is one of my favorite parts of this, called a "degeneracy" by so many, it is just so emotional. It's not often I see bisexuality depicted as well as Stronach does here.
I almost wish I had read the audiobook instead, only because I felt like I was butchering so many words in my head because I didn't know how to pronounce anything.
This is definitely not a shut-your-brain-off-and-read book. If anything with science fiction books like this you really have to pay attention to what's going on otherwise you'll get lost in descriptions, names, and people. I also put off reading this because Yat is a cop, and I was nervous it was going to be copaganda. I wish I had read it sooner.
Check your tws! There is a LOT of body horror, gore, blood, death, drugs, corruption, and homophobia!
I have so many theories for the next book! I need to discuss this for hours just to share all my theories, questions, and love for it.
I absolutely 10000% recommend this book, perfect for people who loves books you can sink your teeth into! I can't wait for the sequel to come out next year! MOSTLY BECAUSE I WANT TO MEET WAJET'S

HUSBAND!

I actually like this cover better than some of the other editions. It is really cool to see what the houses look like, and it gives it such a great otherworldly scifi vibe. 

I loved the world and setting in this book! the idea of alchemy and botanics mixing and just having plants instead of mechanical machines was so new and interesting and with the "magic" system in this book makes for so many cool opportunities. and especially in later chapters this also leads to some really cool and creepy body horror.
in general this book has a lot of really cool and new/rare story elements; the mythology and the way the gods and minor deities interact with the world is something i've never read before, and there were some nice twists on genre tropes like "coming back from death" and the heroine coming into their power and changing/growing though that.
i really liked the heroine. we get thrown into the story and this world without knowing anything and there's this great feeling of "what the eff is going on here?!", but since the heroine, too, feels that way and is learning and discovering new things, as a reader i never felt left behind and it was just a mystery to solve together. 
i also really enjoyed the short inbetween chapters, where someone obviously more knowledgeable is talking. it adds to the sense of mystery and a bigger story line / backstory to it all. and some of them are just so poetic and rip your heart out.
also the representation and social commentary in this book is amazing. there is a super queer pirate found family and also a cat, that helps safe the day/heroine. and really what more could you want from a book?

I loved the characters and their connections. I loved this world built with life itself, yet lacking fundamental connections to life and other. That was intriguing and well developed. The bin chicken insult- delightful. The characters and their relationships are well established. The world building is well done. 
Spoiler: The only thing I didn't get was

why Sibby was so mad at the main character for going back, as if the antagonist wouldn't have started releasing the spores and killing the city if she hadn't (cause he already was).