Kayla BasheReseñas

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I mean, queer, POC, trans* and non-binary folks in a fantasy setting, ftw right? But the story needed a little more time to develop to keep the end from feeling quite so rushed and the formatting needed some adjusting. Overall, I did enjoy it and will be looking out for more by this author but I really think the story would have benefited from another 10 or so pages.

In the first Kayla Bashe book I read, the concept was great but the writing was very shaky. I think her technical skill has improved considerably since then! I enjoyed this queer superhero adventure wholeheartedly. Shadow, a famous young superhero with power over darkness, is devastated when they find that their adoptive parents have been killed by vicious wildlife on an alien planet. They also learn that their parents had taken in a teenage girl named Bean, who survived the beasts but will need help getting back to Earth. Shadow and Bean bond on their trek through the jungle, and when Shadow disocvers that Bean has the superpower of light manipulation, they help her to enroll in an academy for young superheroes in training.
This book is super fun, full of rainbows and cuteness, but it’s not all happiness all the time. Shadow and Bean both struggle with mental illness, and learning to manage their anxieties and trauma and accept the love they deserve is every bit as important as defeating supervillains, and considerably more difficult.

Very cute, and has genetically engineered mini dragons

This was really good! The melding of speculative and sci fi elements with poetry is really well done and I loved the way the author played with words. The poems were all like beautiful stories, really alive with images of hurting and healing. I was really impressed by "Jersey Gothic" (as that's my home state!) but really the whole collection is so well done. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

There are many wonderful, wonderful things about Make Much Of Me by Kayla Bashe. It has an innocence I haven't really seen in the fiction I've read very recently. And much of its charm comes from the story being set in an earlier time. While it doesn't flat out state it (unless I somehow missed something) the suggested era is the 1920s. Words like "jake" and "cloche hat" and the mannerisms and dress of the girls attending the school they go to suggest this.

Make Much About Me is only 84 pages, but it took longer to read because I so loved to linger over certain passages.

Delightfully unusual (it often reminds me of the Nancy Drew books, minus the mysteries) main character Lily has a plucky yet endearing spirit and the warm tenderness between her and her friend Laura permeates all around. And, best of all, there is no sex...it's all about emotion and connecting on other levels, while still being romantic and sweet.

Some of my favorite sections:

- "The woman I might marry someday. I was thinking of her." She propped her chin up on her fists. “Perhaps she lives only a few hours away in New York- or perhaps she lives right here, or in a tenement. I ought to send her my best wishes, in case she has no one to look out for her. That’s what I’m doing. I’m sending her my love.”

-How could one not listen to Stravinsky and not feel utterly wild afterwards, or not sit paralyzed in amazement and admiration after the final chord of a choral piece? The teachers who had heard her sing in her private assessment agreed that while her technique was shaky, the heart was there, and while the world might never weep to hear her sing, it would surely draw joy from her.

-Lily talked to Laura in bed, saying whatever came into her head while stroking her friend's sunbeam hair. Everything from, “I don't think there is any such thing as an unattractive woman. Tired women, and badly dressed women, and women who don't look after themselves or stand up straight or could use a bit of good advice on how to present themselves. But ugly? Never."

-Lily felt as if she knew Laura, and liked Laura, more than ever. She wanted to rescue Laura from any unhappiness, to look after her always, to see her smile like the sun coming out from behind a cloud at long last

-There was a girl in my life, Father, Laura thought, and she made me happy. And had I been worthy of her, I would have continued loving her until the day I died!

“No, Laura, that's not what I mean. The thing is...Every day before I met you, my soul spent it missing you. Laura, my dandelion fluff, my angel light. We were made to keep each other safe."

Make Much Of Me is definitely going to stay on my Kindle for re-reading. Its specialness (and deep sincerity) has nestled itself into my heart. I know how corny that may sound, but that's just how it is.:)

I am so glad I still have more Kayla Bashe stories to read. She is an amazing author and I love the way her characters care about each other and touch readers' hearts.

Graveyard Sparrow offers intriguing mystery, but it is the love that blossoms between Katriona and Anthea that pulls you into the story, head over heels. Whether they are about loneliness or love, so many of the passages get it just right:

--It was hard enough to interact with people in the first place. But when you weren't sure what they wanted to share and what they were hiding, interaction became nearly impossible.

--She thought she wanted Anthea around for the rest of her life. If she holds onto me any longer, people will think we’re betrothed, Anthea thought.

Also a huge plus is that Graveyard Sparrow takes place during the Regency era and, for all its dark side, has a charm and character well-suited to its time. This is a must-read for anyone who likes their romance chaste and their plots compelling. :)

I could write so much about To Stand In The Light and how amazing it is, but for right now all I will say is this: on a bad day the best cure for feeling better is to climb inside a Kayla Bashe story and stay there for as long as possible. Reading her fiction gives you a sense of how wonderful the world (and people) can be...and, for a time, everything _is_ better. Maybe that's why I like to linger so long among her words.

A sweet coming of age fantasy book for queer kids (or adults, for that matter). Bluebell Hall is a charming witch school novel containing familiar tropes that are deployed by the author with skill and a tongue-in-cheek revisionary streak.

The young women in the witch school have various personalities and magics that we get to know as the plot - driven by the school year, a crush, and an evil sorceress who practices blood magic - progresses. Hints of Garth Nix, J.K. Rowling, Diana Wynne Jones and many traditional British boarding school books make this pleasant fantasy even more enjoyable.

The subversion of cissexual and heterosexual tropes is joyously and cleverly accomplished. I had a smile on my face for most of the read and look forward to reading anything else set in this world.

Tash Blumenthal, a medical student, is the only survivor when the research ship she's on crash lands on a planet swarming with the Sprawl, an alien hivemind that can forcibly take over other beings' bodies. She'd have died, maybe even been taken over herself, if it hadn't been for Soleil's help. Although Soleil was just a voice coming from Tash's comm pendant, her advice, encouragement, and general presence kept Tash alive long enough for a ship to arrive and rescue her.

Tash is both nervous and excited at the chance to finally meet her savior. She's attracted to Soleil and hopes the feelings are mutual – but can Tash's budding feelings for Soleil survive learning the woman's biggest secret?

I picked this up because I heard it was sweet f/f sci-fi romance. The short length concerned me, but I decided to give it a shot anyway.

While the romance was sweet, the execution didn't work for me. The short length really did hurt this story. Most of it took place after Tash's rescue, with brief flashbacks to Tash's time on the planet. I loved the flashbacks and wished they'd been longer. However, the parts set after Tash's rescue moved a bit too quickly. Bashe didn't manage to convince me that Tash was truly in love with Soleil, and not just crushing on the woman who helped her during the worst and most dangerous time of her life.

Also, Soleil's secret was revealed to Tash and the rest of the ship's crew too soon and too suddenly (readers were told fairly early on, which was probably a good thing, since it was pretty obvious). Tash went from “OMG, am I being too annoying and nerdy, and does she like me the way I like her?” to “I hate her and hope she dies” in an instant. The emotional whiplash was rough. Her subsequent confusion and uncertainty made sense, but everything seemed to move just a bit too quickly. I needed more time to get to know these characters.

A question I was left with, that Tash should have thought to ask but didn't: if Soleil eventuallygathered more minds for her hivemind, would her and Tash's bond mean that Tash was bonded to the whole hivemind, or would Tash still just be bonded to Soleil's individual mind? The first option seemed like something Tash might have trouble with, while the second option seemed like it could cause problems with the hivemind.In general, I felt that Tash didn't ask enough questions, period.

I wish this had been longer and more fleshed out. It also had some awkwardly phrased sentences that could have used more work. One example: “I outrank you – do you know how much I am your superior in terms of age and experience?” (24) Oh, and the publisher really needs to be more consistent. The publisher site and cover state that the title is Medic to the Hive Mind. Smashwords and the book itself say that the title is Medic to the Hivemind.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

Um, what the heck did I just read?

In terms of a "Choose your own adventure" type book, there were a little too many occasions wherein the choice was (1/1) go here. As in, the story just continued. But there was a hyperlink to click on to reach the continuation of the story.

In terms of a fantasy . . .. hmms. Not much background given, though some of the universe gets filtered into your brain. Sometimes in something like infodumps. Though they were interesting infodumps. Apparently in this universe there are these monsters that like to wander around attacking. By making people depressed, angry, etc. Occasionally by eating them. Humans are defended from these monsters by Magic Girls who become Magic Women. Who train at Magical Girls Academy.

In terms of LGBT . . .. Not actually sure what function the men serve in this society. The women are magical, at least the ones that are magical heh, have kids, and have lesbian partners. The men . . . um . . . farm? So, not only is lesbian activities allowed/accepted/etc., they are basically expected and maybe, though not directly stated in this book, required. So, that's the L in LGBT.

Last note: Seemed like a quick read but I have no idea how long the book actually was. No source, or at least here and Amazon, has information on the length of this book.

The writing is quite utilitarian, the world-building is sketchy, and the morals of the story are administered via sledgehammer. On the other hand, the characters are charming and the relationship developed in a surprisingly convincing manner. A cute little story, would be great for teenagers.