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(I did not read American Gods this week, but A did, so I got to hear his running commentary.)
Academ's Fury, Jim Butcher. This had some good plot stuff going on here. Despite the title, this is not a school story, though there was an oral exam scene with convenient infodump. Favorite character is probably Kitai, partly because she's from a culture with less patriarchy, but also she's she's a different species with different powers and brings her own perspective. I am ready for the Dianic league to smash the patriarchy already, but so far we've only been teased about this. But will they smash the author's stereotypical male gaze? I acknowledge that Jim Butcher is also trying to write stereotypical female gaze for Amara's POV, but it's not working -- I am unconvinced / uninterested in why Amara finds Bernard attractive. Also I think it is a very bad idea for that couple to make all their relationship decisions while in the middle of a battle where they are Going To Die (except that reinforcements always arrive at exactly the right time). I liked Bernard better as Tavi's uncle.
Jade City, Fonda Lee. Reading this for an online book club, probably woludn't have picked it up otherwise. It's a secondary world setting that is the equivalent of late 20th century Asia (I think? They have TV and commercial air travel, but so far no computers) only with jade-fueled magical powers. This book gets noticeably better around page 50: it starts having sympathetic POV characters, and women characters (there were no women onscreen for the first 40 pages, and then one who was mainly there for a sex scene). But I haven't gotten much beyond that, so I don't know if it will stay that way. Setting is somewhat interesting, although the magic is less so: I think I'd be as happy reading a similar book that was historical fiction rather than fantasy
Academ's Fury, Jim Butcher. This had some good plot stuff going on here. Despite the title, this is not a school story, though there was an oral exam scene with convenient infodump. Favorite character is probably Kitai, partly because she's from a culture with less patriarchy, but also she's she's a different species with different powers and brings her own perspective. I am ready for the Dianic league to smash the patriarchy already, but so far we've only been teased about this. But will they smash the author's stereotypical male gaze? I acknowledge that Jim Butcher is also trying to write stereotypical female gaze for Amara's POV, but it's not working -- I am unconvinced / uninterested in why Amara finds Bernard attractive. Also I think it is a very bad idea for that couple to make all their relationship decisions while in the middle of a battle where they are Going To Die (except that reinforcements always arrive at exactly the right time). I liked Bernard better as Tavi's uncle.
Jade City, Fonda Lee. Reading this for an online book club, probably woludn't have picked it up otherwise. It's a secondary world setting that is the equivalent of late 20th century Asia (I think? They have TV and commercial air travel, but so far no computers) only with jade-fueled magical powers. This book gets noticeably better around page 50: it starts having sympathetic POV characters, and women characters (there were no women onscreen for the first 40 pages, and then one who was mainly there for a sex scene). But I haven't gotten much beyond that, so I don't know if it will stay that way. Setting is somewhat interesting, although the magic is less so: I think I'd be as happy reading a similar book that was historical fiction rather than fantasy