#netgalley — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #netgalley, aggregated by home.social.
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🆕 blog! “Book Review: The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories by Ken Liu”
★★★★☆This is a gorgeous set of short stories - and a good deal more accessible than some of the heavyweight prose Liu has previously been involved with. Some of the stories contain sentences which are complex jewels to be savoured.
What I particularly like…
👀 Read more: https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/09/book-review-the-passing-of-the-dragon-and-other-stories-by-ken-liu/
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#BookReview #NetGalley #SciFi -
Book Review: The Passing of the Dragon and Other Stories by Ken Liu
https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/09/book-review-the-passing-of-the-dragon-and-other-stories-by-ken-liu/This is a gorgeous set of short stories - and a good deal more accessible than some of the heavyweight prose Liu has previously been involved with. Some of the stories contain sentences which are complex jewels to be savoured.
What I particularly like is the way he moves between almost-prosaic Earth-bound stories to the the most extraordinary flights of fancy. One story might be set in a downtown art gallery, the next in the ice-rings of a far-off planet. The creeping feeling of senescence haunts the reader as they flit from story to story.
Much like his full-length novel All That We See or Seem, Liu has an incredible knack for tapping in to modern fears and weaving tall tales around them. There's a tenderness in all his character - even when a couple of the stories go nowhere, it is still pleasant to spend time in the worlds he has created.
It is, perhaps, missing a cohesive theme - the dragons come and go throughout the stories. Nevertheless, a compelling work chock full of fantastical ideas.
If you're in the mood for a wide and varied selection of stories, this is well worth picking up.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. Passing of the Dragon is available to buy now.
#BookReview #NetGalley #SciFi -
Book Review: An Empire in the Clouds by Ai Jiang
Title: An Empire in the Clouds
Author: Ai Jiang
Publisher: Titan Books
Publication date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Science Fantasy
An Empire in the Clouds is a Chinese-inspired science fantasy where one empire is comprised of lotuses and the other is a sinking continent. I wanted to love this one. I expected to love it. I was disappointed when I completely failed to sink into this one. I spent so much of the novel trying to make sense of the world building and urging the story to hurry up that it was difficult to enjoy. The premise felt ambitious, but half of the book felt like world building filler.
Xilian is a princess in Piao, the empire literally built onto massive lotuses hovering over the ocean. Her parents drowned in the Great Drowning decades ago (thanks to some creams and pills, aging virtually stops). One of her brothers has been crowned Emperor, but two advisors are plotting to drown him in another great accident, unless Xilian can stop them. For that, she needs her other brother, Lang, who was exiled to the drowning continent divided between Reboot and Revive (the only difference being one wants to destroy everything and start over and the other wants to save the environment. I think.). Lang, though, wants no part of the empire and family that never cared for him once he left Piao. Meanwhile a Performer in Revive, No Face, was separated from their mother on Piao decades ago and has been plotting to kill the advisors responsible for their separation. The time is approaching, whether or not anyone will help them.
An Empire in the Clouds felt like it could have been something amazing. Unfortunately, it completely missed the mark for me. It was too long, filled with what felt like filler on every other page. The world building, though meticulous, felt confusing. How did they make these giant lotuses? Why are the two empires so at odds? What do Revive and Reboot even look like? Despite all the details, I struggled to visualize how this world looked. It was interesting, especially since the Piaoren use koi to travel through all the water to get from lotus to lotus, which isn’t even allowed anymore, but I could not figure out for the life of me how and where buildings were constructed on these giant flowers. How are there gardens on them? I was so confused, which wasn’t fun because most of the novel felt like world building almost to the end.
The story itself is achingly simple. A princess fears for her brother’s life, a brother who has become cold to her, so she decides to do something about the two advisors intent on killing him. So she goes to her other brother, exiled by the same advisors decades ago. Except he, rightfully, wants nothing to do with her and Piao, until a Performer under his care takes matters into their hands and heads straight for Piao with something destructive because the same advisors separated them from their mother (I’d like to add the mother made the choice to stay in Piao, which meant her child had to be sent to Revive) decades ago, and they’ll stop at nothing for revenge. To me, this all read like a pampered princess who wants to do something without having any idea how, so she spends the whole story struggling to keep up while holding onto a very vague plan. No Face had so much more agency than Xilian, and yet Xilian gets to tell most of the story. It was maddening.
I wanted to like Xilian. I felt sorry for her for a while. She wants to do something, but has no idea how. The people around her are not trustworthy. There’s this whole bit about her, her maid, and No Face, but No Face’s chapters harped on so much about it that I figured it out before the reveal was made to Xilian. It ended up falling completely flat so, while I understood Xilian’s actions, it did not feel as tense and revealing and hard as it should have. It just made Xilian feel more like an ignorant, pampered princess who only ever cared about herself. No Face, on the other hand, has this rage building in them. Their thirst for revenge pushed them to do everything they did, and I loved it. I wasn’t so keen on how the performances went and every move that went into performing Chinese opera, but I loved this character. I felt all of their discontent and found myself wanting the advisors’ demise as much as they did.
An Empire in the Clouds may have fallen far short of my expectations, but it did feel like it was trying out some interesting things. I liked how Piao held to the old ways while Revive and Reboot basically went full tech. The divide between Revive and Reboot felt extraneous to me, but I could still appreciate the commentary. The plotting the characters engaged in was fun, the side characters felt like they had their own stories, and there’s some real emotion at the end when things are revealed and people are hurt and killed. But I found it hard to stay focused as most of the book focused more on the world building than the story, which didn’t get exciting until the last quarter.
How many cups of tea will you need?
3 cups
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Head over to the Bookshelf to check out my reviews of books from the Big 5 and self-published, indie, and small press books.
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#aiJiang #anEmpireInTheClouds #BookReview #chineseInspired #fantasy #netgalley #scienceFantasy #ScienceFiction #titanBooks -
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the riveting story of the first true coast-to-coast automobile race in U.S. history, a fast-paced tale of the gritty and determined drivers who faced the odds to try to win. --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #TheHardestLongestRace #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMArtinsPRess #HenryFord
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the riveting story of the first true coast-to-coast automobile race in U.S. history, a fast-paced tale of the gritty and determined drivers who faced the odds to try to win. --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #TheHardestLongestRace #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMArtinsPRess #HenryFord
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the riveting story of the first true coast-to-coast automobile race in U.S. history, a fast-paced tale of the gritty and determined drivers who faced the odds to try to win. --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #TheHardestLongestRace #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMArtinsPRess #HenryFord
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the riveting story of the first true coast-to-coast automobile race in U.S. history, a fast-paced tale of the gritty and determined drivers who faced the odds to try to win. --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #TheHardestLongestRace #ARCReview #NetGalley #StMArtinsPRess #HenryFord
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7 ARCs releasing across July and August, and I don't think I've ever had a run this strong. Wartime thrillers, cozy chaos, a mob lawyer doing inner child work. 📚🔪#cozymystery #bookstagram #arcreader #netgalley #bookreview #whodunit #mysterybooks #summerreads #tbrpile #bookblog #cozycrime #mystery
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Philip Marlowe meets Redwall and it absolutely works. Green City Wars by Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the more unique things I have listened to in a while.
#GreenCityWars #AdrianTchaikovsky #NetGalley #MacAudio2026 #AudiobookReview #Bookstagram #SciFiNoir #BookReview #JohnPirhalla #ComingJune2026
https://wrightspoetry.com/2026/05/26/green-city-wars-by-adrian-tchaikovsky-audiobook-review/
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Framing Emmett Till: Exposing Dark Fear follows an anonymous Black writer as he investigates Emmett’s murder, where he confronts unresolved truths. --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #FramingEmmettTill #AbramsComicArts #GraphicNovel #Netgalley #ARCReview #EmmettTill #CivilRightsMovement #Lynching
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It’s finally time for Jan, Jan, Jan! Happiness Included: Jan Brady and Beyond is here! Eve Plumb's memoir about her life including time on The Brady Bunch is explored. -> #BookThreads #BookSky #Bookstagram #EvePlumb #TheBradyBunch #HappinessIncluded #CitadelPress #JanBrady #Netgalley #BookReview
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Lost Lambs is a new vision of the charms and pitfalls of family dysfunction. I had high hopes because the blurb promised humor, but thought the book was a mixed bag. Review --> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #LostLambs #Netgalley #MacmillanAudio #LiteraryFiction #ARCReview #FarrarStrausandGiroux
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A vivid portrait of the unsung American women from 1776 to today who changed the course of history in their fight for freedom and helped shape a more perfect union. Review-> #BookThreads #BookSky #BookReview #WetheWomen #NorahODonnell #KateAndersonBrower #WomensHistory #BallantineBooks #NetGalley
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Black-owned bookstores have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. A new book explores their cultural and societal impact. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookSky #BookReview #BlackOwned #TinyReparationsBooks #SocialJustic #CivilRights #ARC #Netgalley
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Black-owned bookstores have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. A new book explores their cultural and societal impact. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookSky #BookReview #BlackOwned #TinyReparationsBooks #SocialJustic #CivilRights #ARC #Netgalley
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Black-owned bookstores have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. A new book explores their cultural and societal impact. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookSky #BookReview #BlackOwned #TinyReparationsBooks #SocialJustic #CivilRights #ARC #Netgalley
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Black-owned bookstores have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. A new book explores their cultural and societal impact. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookSky #BookReview #BlackOwned #TinyReparationsBooks #SocialJustic #CivilRights #ARC #Netgalley
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I have a new book coming out in January: SHE IS HERE. Every time I look at the cover I smile—and am struck by just how unusual both the photo and book itself are. Let me explain using many visual aids...
#SheIsHere #NetGalleyhttp://nicolagriffith.com/2025/11/05/black-and-white-through-the-writing-ages/
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Environmental health expert Lindsay Dahl takes us on her journey from skeptic to activist, exposing the secret forces that keep toxic chemicals in our lives. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookSky #BookReview #CleaningHouse #DeyStreetBooks #BPAFree #ToxicChemicals #ARC #NetGalley #Bookstagram #Environment
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Robert F. Kennedy's birthday this year marks 100 years since his birth. Kennedy biographer Chris Matthews shows readers ten lessons from RFK's life that are still needed. Review--> #Bookthreads #BookBlogger #BookSky #BookReview #LessonsFromBobby #ARC #SimonandSchuster #RobertFKennedy #NetGalley
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Check out my review of @ceejthemoment C.J. Leede's beautifully despicable Maeve Fly
#splatterpunk #extremehorror #bookstagram #booksky💙📚 #bookstodon #bookreviewer #netgalley #maevefly -
In a few hours Pride Month will be over, which means there's just a few hours left to download a review copy of Syr Hayati Beker's queer novella in fairy tale retellings, What a Fish Looks Like.
If you love weird gay lit, this is not one to miss. Download it here: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/652133
#netgalley #reviewcopy #advancereviewcopy #novella #sciencefiction #ecofiction #whatafishlookslike #syrhayatibeker #stelliformpress
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Happy Pride to the queer AF book people! This month we're sharing excerpts from our LGBTQ+ books. LGBTQ+ stories are a crucial part of the cultural shift we need to create a just world.
You can now download our latest LGBTQ+ title, What a Fish Looks Like by Syr Hayati Beker. https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/652133
#netgalley #WhataFishLooksLike #SyrHayatiBeker #bookdownload #reviewcopy #lgbtqbooks #lgbtq #Pride2025 #LoveIsLove #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIA+ #PrideMonth #Pridebooks #ReadsforPride #books #bookstodon
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If whimsy, queer communities, justice & delightful language is what you're looking for in a poetry collection, Mahaila Smith's SEED BEETLE is now up on Netgalley. Netgalley users can download it here: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/605077
Small presses can't exist without reviewers. We sincerely thank you all.
#bookreview #bookreviewer #netgalley #reviewcopy #poetry #poetrycollection #canadianauthor #canlit #canadianliterature #sciencefiction #queerfiction #speculativefiction #speculativepoetry #bookstodon
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The #book is now available on NetGalley!
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/443412
#IARTG #NetGalley #ARC #scifi #sciencefiction #ya #Yasciencefiction #ues #islington #bookreviews #booklovers #bookworms #readerscommunity #readersoftwitter #readers #reviewers #review #teens #teensandya #mystery #thriller #bookstodon
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The #book is now available on NetGalley!
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/443412
#IARTG #NetGalley #ARC #scifi #sciencefiction #ya #Yasciencefiction #ues #islington #bookreviews #booklovers #bookworms #readerscommunity #readersoftwitter #readers #reviewers #review #teens #teensandya #mystery #thriller #bookstodon
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🎉 ARC REVIEW! Witch King by Martha Wells! Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC! 🎉
I have read and loved Martha Wells' Murderbot series and I was so excited to jump into her new fantasy with The Witch King!
Check out my full review at
https://inthelibrarybooks.wordpress.com/2023/05/18/arc-review-the-witch-king-by-martha-wells/#bookreview #torbooks #netgalley #arc #advancereaderscopy #ebook #amreading #amreadingfantasy #marthawells #witchking #newrelease #comingsoon #books #booklove #booklover #bookblog #bookblogger #bookstodon
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I've been enjoying 'The Granddaughters of Edward III' by #KathrynWarner, thanks to a review copy from #NetGalley. Two queens, several scandals, descendants with competing claims leading to the #WarsOfTheRoses. Many history books focus on half the population; examining what we know of the women provides new perspective. 🧵 1/
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Granddaughters-of-Edward-III-Hardback/p/22445
#NewBook #medieval #biography #prosopography #MedievalWomen #14thCentury #15thCentury #medievodons @medievodons #GranddaughtersOfEdwardIII