Scan barcode
rainbowcrow369's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
lycanhood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
I had a hard time getting through this one. Intriguing world and characters for sure, but I had a difficult time with the writing style and following the plot. It could just be it's one of those books that's better read physically or on ebook rather than an audio. But I do think the narrator did a really fantastic job with tone and cadence. I could tell that a lot of heart went into this one and it definitely played with some cool ideas. I just had a hard time following it. Worth a try or anyone looking for queer fantasy but this one was not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and War
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
'The Dawnhounds' by Sascha Stronach is a creative fantasy with unique worldbuilding and a cast of complex characters.
The story centers on Yat Jyn-Hok, a cop who lives in a city where plant power has taken over a once industrialized city. When she happens upon a murder, the perpetrators kill her as well. But Yat wakes up with a newfound ability to sense the threads of life that make up every living being that surrounds her. As Yat searches for an explanation for what happened to her and why she didn't die, she starts to uncover a plot to transform the city she loves, including everyone in it.
Stronach creates a unique world in The Dawnhounds and then lets us as the reader uncover all of its different aspects slowly throughout the story. There is biotech, living houses, pirate ships that can be transported across long distances in mere moments, and ammunition imbued with living, hungry grubs. Stronach explores both the beauty and the potential terror of biotech throughout the work. Along with the world, the characters are the other strong point in this novel. My favorite character is a pirate captain who can harness the threads of life and may be far older than anyone could guess. The characters weave into the worldbuilding in really interesting ways that helps to make them feel important and also help us to discover more about the world Stronach has created. I am looking forward to where this story goes next and cannot wait to pick up the next book.
The story centers on Yat Jyn-Hok, a cop who lives in a city where plant power has taken over a once industrialized city. When she happens upon a murder, the perpetrators kill her as well. But Yat wakes up with a newfound ability to sense the threads of life that make up every living being that surrounds her. As Yat searches for an explanation for what happened to her and why she didn't die, she starts to uncover a plot to transform the city she loves, including everyone in it.
Stronach creates a unique world in The Dawnhounds and then lets us as the reader uncover all of its different aspects slowly throughout the story. There is biotech, living houses, pirate ships that can be transported across long distances in mere moments, and ammunition imbued with living, hungry grubs. Stronach explores both the beauty and the potential terror of biotech throughout the work. Along with the world, the characters are the other strong point in this novel. My favorite character is a pirate captain who can harness the threads of life and may be far older than anyone could guess. The characters weave into the worldbuilding in really interesting ways that helps to make them feel important and also help us to discover more about the world Stronach has created. I am looking forward to where this story goes next and cannot wait to pick up the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
4.0
This was a very cool and weird sapphic Māori cyberpunk fungal horror and if that doesn’t hit literally every spot I need, I don’t know what will. The world is *spectacular*. It completely satisfied the cyberpunk craving I’ve had since obsessing over Cyberpunk 2077 earlier this year. It has that combination of future tech but eery, creepy vibe full of capitalist immorality that just creates the perfect cyberpunk world. I mean, people live in mushroom houses that feed on their dead skin and sweat but if it goes wrong they try to eat them?! Are you kidding me?! How fucking amazing. Is it so weird at times I’m still not sure what happened? Possibly. But it’s in the same way Tamsyn Muir writes and means I think a lot of things will get further explained (and more mysteries added…) in sequels, which I can’t wait to read.
Content warnings: graphic depictions of body horror, violence, blood and gore, homophobia, ableism, suicide, animal death, death, gun violence, addiction, self harm, war
Content warnings: graphic depictions of body horror, violence, blood and gore, homophobia, ableism, suicide, animal death, death, gun violence, addiction, self harm, war
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and War
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Maybe 3.5 stars for me, but I'm rounding up because Sascha Stronach has written a great bisexual woman protagonist and cast of diverse characters that I really appreciate.
I feel complicatedly about this one. I liked quite a bit about it: original world-building, well-executed weird, and really thoughtful representation. The system of... magic? science? is interesting and the action scenes are well written. What didn't work for me at all was the pacing -- sometimes scenes felt like they were drawn out longer than they needed to be, while at other times there seemed to be significant jumps that left me wondering if I'd perhaps missed something. All in all: reads like a debut, but a promising one; I'll read the sequel.
I feel complicatedly about this one. I liked quite a bit about it: original world-building, well-executed weird, and really thoughtful representation. The system of... magic? science? is interesting and the action scenes are well written. What didn't work for me at all was the pacing -- sometimes scenes felt like they were drawn out longer than they needed to be, while at other times there seemed to be significant jumps that left me wondering if I'd perhaps missed something. All in all: reads like a debut, but a promising one; I'll read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Addiction and Suicide
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thanks to Saga Press for the free copy of this book.
- I’m not sure I actually know what to make of THE DAWNHOUNDS. It was wildly creative and inventive, filled with compelling characters, action packed, and often confusing as heck.
- I think the author leaned a little too hard into the “drop readers in without explaining the world and they’ll figure it out” school of sci-fi. Eventually I think I got a handle on it, but a lot of it still felt under-explained, especially the mythology of the gods.
- However, I really loved the writing and found it so compelling. I do think I’ll pick up the next in the series when it arrives, because although this book had some issues, I think Stronach is an author to watch.
- I’m not sure I actually know what to make of THE DAWNHOUNDS. It was wildly creative and inventive, filled with compelling characters, action packed, and often confusing as heck.
- I think the author leaned a little too hard into the “drop readers in without explaining the world and they’ll figure it out” school of sci-fi. Eventually I think I got a handle on it, but a lot of it still felt under-explained, especially the mythology of the gods.
- However, I really loved the writing and found it so compelling. I do think I’ll pick up the next in the series when it arrives, because although this book had some issues, I think Stronach is an author to watch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism
zarap's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Identifiably a first book - I think it would've benefited from some adjustments to the timeline, as there were things that were somewhat confusing that I don't think were supposed to be confusing. Lots of promise and great representation though, and I want to continue the series. Excited especially to get a better grasp on the worldbuilding in the sequel(s?) and to get to know the characters better. Not the favorite I'd hoped it would be, but definitely glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Violence
leahjanespeare's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
This had a lot of potential - it’s a techno-punk fantasy adventure infused with elements of Māori mythology. It’s about the queer experience, bi erasure; how to navigate a world where you are not acknowledged, not even with other marginalized groups. I was very excited to read this, but left a little confused at what was actually going on. I think there were zombies maybe, and there were definitely pirates. Maybe I couldn’t click with the writing style, but to my disappointment it lacked cohesion with all of these cool elements.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Gore, Homophobia, and Violence