Chick fil a cobb salad review

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Same size, but one is much lighter.

Last year (2022) I read fewer graphic novels and fantasy deciding to focus on completed series and keeping up with continuing series that are currently being written to surpass the Goodreads goal of 365. Thanks to Reddit Fantasy Bingo, I did end up reading a lot of new authors! This is the Asian Authors theme card, the third of 3 Fantasy Bingo Cards (Hard mode, African Authors, Asian Authors), after a ton of research and reading. I have two more cards waiting on two last books from the library. Links are to full reviews on Goodreads.
So Satisfied to Finally Finish!
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First Row Across
LGBTQIA List Book - Bodard, Aliette de - In The Vanisher's Palace - 3⭐
The world building and magic system were interesting, as was the final plot twist. But yet, I couldn't bring myself to buy the love story between Vu Côn and Yên. Their relationship while being the crux of the story didn't feel very authentic, and I wanted it to be, so this book was very run of the mill average, from plot to language to execution.
Weird Ecology - Stewart, Andrea - The Bone Shard Emperor - 5⭐
A rare instance where the second book of The Drowning Empire series surpasses the first book in every instance. Living necromancy, bone "tithes", revolution amidst a backdrop where floating islands start sinking due to little known ecological phenomena. Ends with a Sanderlanche! Yay!
Two or More Authors - Chen, Yu and Others - The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories - 4½ ⭐
This anthology contains multiple Chinese science fiction and fantasy stories and essays written, edited, and translated by a female and nonbinary team, published in English for the first time. It is a very high quality collection, with numerous extremely though provoking stories.
Historical SFF - Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee - The Palace of Illusions - 5⭐
Unlike Circe or Kaikeyi, this isn't a feminist retelling but a reimagining of the world-famous Indian epic, the Mahabharat, as narrated by legendary beauty Draupadi (Panchaali), the main female progatonist and wife of the legendary Pandavas. The story is by itself already famous and worthy of many adaptations, full of twists, turns, love, magic, morality, treachery, betrayal and battles - in other words, a page turner of a story with the scope and grandeur befitting the word Epic. Let's just say it made me want to watch the TV series adaptation.
Set in Space - Lee, Yoon Ha - Ninefox Gambit - 3⭐
The concept and world building are so insanely complicated with the 6 factions and how they interweave, it actually helps to go to the author's page for this handy Hexarchate faction cheat sheet. There's also a ton of math, which I didn't mind too much, but this is a dense read that requires brain power, so not everyone is going to enjoy it.
Second Row
Stand Alone - Natsukawa, Sosuke - The Cat Who Saved Books - 5⭐
It's too bad this book where a talking cat persuades a shut in (hikkikomori) to go on a quest to save books is a stand alone, as it means no more sequels. This is one of those books that will resonate with bibliophiles because books are awesome, even the exotic ones, and deserve to be read.
Anti Hero - Zhao, Xiran Jay - Iron Widow - 4⭐
The author, angry at white washing in The Great Wall as well as the ending of Darling in the Franxx anime wrote this angry feminist chick lit for revenge. If you happened to grow up in a patriarchical society and hate how women are treated, this book will resonate with you. The writing isn't particularly ground breaking, but reading this is a form of catharsis, plus much cheaper than therapy.
Book Club - Divya, S.B. - Machinehood - 2⭐
Read this with Fantasy's New Voices Book Club. It's Hard Sci Fi but way too much jargon and way too many concepts introduced. The character work was actually decent, but the story was so bogged down in details and convoluted plots to the point it wasn't enjoyable especially when a bunch of plot lines were just left hanging/unresolved. It's pretty much like dumping a ton of ingredients into a soup hoping they will all work together, when a focused approach with a deeper dive into some (not all) of the concepts would have been richer and more balanced meal because the flavors would have had time to develop. A good editor could have fixed some of that.
Cool Weapon - Kagawa, Julie - Shadow of The Fox - 5⭐
Tatsumi carries the uniquely named Kamigoroshi, a powerful sword possessed by the soul of the demon Hakaimono! There's a 9 tailed fox girl, a ronin and a sheltered prince who has done nothing but study swordmanship. The story, despite being full of Japanese tropes, is wildly entertaining and was an absolute joy to read. Loved it. I'll most likely finish the trilogy.
Revolutions and Rebellion - Kuang, R.F. - Babel- 5⭐
This is a big idea book that ties the magic system to the nuances in translation, which is shown, not told, in exquisite detail in the first third of the book before it goes into the more exciting politics and revolution arc. The multilingual and academically minded will enjoy this more than others.
Third Row
Name in the Title - Lien, Henry - Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions - 4½⭐
Now that we are used to Wu Liu Kung Fu Skating (🎶 those kids were fast as lightning 🎶) the author throws in a new catalyst. Yinmei, heir to the Shinian throne, has fled and is requesting asylum at the Pearl. Cue YA political intrigue and adolescent drama at the Pearl Famous Academy of Skate and Sword. Was a lot of fun and better than the first book, but I hated that one euphemism for swearing.
Substitution for Author uses Initials = Set in Asia - Lee, Fonda - The Jade Setter of Janloon - 5⭐
Attempts to find an Asian Authors where the initials were a pseudonym failed spectacularly so defaulted to 2021 Set in Asia square. This is the prequel to the critically acclaimed fan favorite Green Bone Saga, and it's just as great. Would 100% read more books set in this world.
Published in 2022 - Patel, Vaishnavi - Kaikeyi - 5⭐
This debut novel is a feminist re-telling of the story of Kaikeyi, the much maligned Queen from The Ramayana, one of Hinduism's two Itihasas (collections of written descriptions of important events in Hinduism). This book is powerful enough I was angry and wrote a passionate review to exorcise my sadness and frustration at the use of religion by men to oppress women in India.
Urban Fantasy - Vo, Nghi - The Chosen And The Beautiful - 4⭐
“I had never seen a moon like that before. It was no Mercury dime New York moon, but a harvest moon brought all the way from the wheat fields of North Dakota to shine with sweet benevolence down on the chosen and the beautiful.” Retelling of The Great Gatsby. Nghi Vo's prose is beautiful, it's the only reason I finished the book because I honestly despised most of the characters.
Set in Africa - Emezi, Akwaeke - Freshwater - 1½ ⭐
The author is of African and Asian Heritage, which plays into this globe trotting story as protagonist Ada is a child of parents from Africa and Asia. She grows up a citizen of the world having heritage in Africa, Asia and living in Europe and America. The content is graphic, this should come with multiple trigger warnings as by the time I finished this I thought the main character (and me) would require months or years of therapy to work through the trauma. Not for everyone.
Fourth Row
Non-Human Protagonist - Paull, Laline - The Bees - 4⭐
Fantasy book from the POV of Bees? Wait. Why is this so dark? And violent? And gory? Why does it have 1984 style totalitarianism and Animal Farm type indoctrination!?? Imaginative, violent, interesting.
Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey - Kim, Bo-Young - I'm Waiting For You and Other Stories - 4⭐
It doesn't involve time travel, but instead utilizes time dilation caused by faster than light relativistic travel as a plot device for two of the 4 stories. The letters across time missed connections love story will both resonate with fans of romance, but the other 2 stories are just meh.
Five Short Stories - Chiang, Ted - Exhalation and other stories - 4½⭐
An entire high quality anthology filled with Hugo, Nebula and other award winning or nominated stories.
Mental Health - Ngan, Natasha - Girls of Paper and Fire - 3½⭐
The first book of the Girls of Paper and Fire Trilogy gives protagonist Lei, plenty of reasons to suffer mental anguish starting when her mother was snatched away by the Capital in a raid on their village, a fate that later befalls her. The World Building is satisfying with themes around the evils of that world's caste driven hierarchy.
Self Published, Indie Publisher - Yan, Ge - Strange Beasts of China - 4⭐
Qualifies for hard mode as the indie publisher, Tilted Axis Press, has done an AMA with Fantasy. “My mother used to tell me, ‘You can’t be sure that beasts aren’t people, or that people aren’t just another type of beast” This mystery bestiary novel is a fantastical tale of the strange beasts inhabiting the mythical city of Yong’An as seen through the eyes of a former cryptozoologist turned novelist. It's like a very specific, specialized X-files, with each chapter exploring a different Strange Beast.
Fifth Row
Award Finalist - Cho, Zen - The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected In Water - 4⭐
The Novella's premise is plausible with the found family aspect being very wholesome. It is also very Malaysian, with proper use of traditional terms like Tokong (Temple), Mata (literally eyes, but it means Policeman) and Kris (traditional Malay dagger with a serpentine shaped blade)
BIPOC Author - Lee, Lori M - Pahua and the Soul Stealer - 4⭐
Hmong author! This book is presented by Rick Riordan, and reading it one is immediately made aware that it is young adult, with a lot of Rick Riordan hallmarks - the young protagonist is a descendant of a deity/god, it is told in first person, there are some snarky remarks and tons of pop culture references. Not as good as Riordan but a fun read. The identity crisis Pahua experiences is relatable to any young Asian growing up in the USA as she has to navigate casual overt racism for being the only Asian in her school. It is her need to "fit in" after a new classmate stands up to her bully that is the catalyst for the events in this book. To the right reader, these themes will resonate strongly.
Shape-Shifters - Cho, Kat - Vicious Spirits - 3½⭐
The second book in Kat Cho's Gumiho Series begins with Somin and frenemy Junu doing their best to help Miyoung and Jihoon who are reeling from the deaths of their mother and grandmother, respectively. I don't know how much influence hugely popular K-dramas like Goblin or Tale of the Nine Tailed had on this book, but the expanded roles of the "B" couple and more melodrama made this a much more enjoyable sequel. It even reads like a K-drama, so there has to have been some influence.
No Ifs, Ands, or Buts - Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - Heaven Official's Blessing Vol 1 - 5⭐
Xie Lian has ascends to godhood for the third time, 800 years after his first ascendance. He has a hard luck story as he can't seem to keep his divinity (for various reasons) so is sent back to wander the earthly realm to take on tasks appointed by the heavens to pay back debts and maintain his divinity since Heaven's bureaucracy seems to value those who can play politics more than "good" people, reflecting real life. Still, it's impossible not to like Xie Lian as he is at the core, a good person that the reader immediately wants to root for. First of 8 volumes, LGBTQ content, lots of drama, MXTX knows how to tell a great story.
Family Matters - Chang, K-Ming - Bestiary - 2½⭐
Loosely based on Taiwanese Tayal legends, three generations in a single family are tied together by their possession of the tiger spirit. The writing is inconsistent, at times prosaic, at others poetic. I'm not sure if it's translation issues or what. I would probably have rated this a lot higher if I had enjoyed it more, but nearly all the characters are unlikable AND the content is too grim dark for me.