The Subtle Art of Folding Space: An Ambitious Sci-Fi That Has a Few Odd Notes

 

Author: John Chu

Genre: Science fiction, LGBTQ rep, character drama, general fiction, BIPOC rep, Own voices

Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)

Release Date: April 7th, 2026

TW: familial abuse, death of a family member (on page) attempted suicide (in the past, off page), funerals, mourning

I encourage my readers to also seek out Chinese and gay reviewers, as although I am a part of the queer community, I am an asexual white woman, and may miss some cultural nuance. 

This book had an amazing premise, but had a few missteps in characterization and for lack of a better term, sci-fi believably.  But first, the plot: 

Behind our universe are the pipes that maintain it (the Skunkworks). Each pipe in the Skunkworks is a law of the universe. The framework of our universe needs constant work, and repair to keep it from deteriorating. Ellie is one of these maintainers, along with her homicidal sister Chris. Their mother, who was one of the best maintainers in the planet, is dying. When Ellie finds out that someone is keeping her mother alive by kitbashing a workaround in the physics of the universe, it's up to her to choose what to do about it. Her choice will reverberate across the inner workings of the universe and more importantly her family. Will she be able to survive her choice? Will her sister ever stop trying to kill her?

I loved the premise of this book. The concept of a whole secret group of people who  keep the universe from breaking down by fixing the very laws of the universe. Each maintainer interacts with the Skunkworks differently and each way that they interact with them is unique to them. (For example,  Ellie's cousin Daniel sees the schematics as food that he can taste and readjust.) This has great potential for  characterization and conflict that the current novel barely scratches the surface of.  

I only wish that other aspects of this book were as strong. Firstly, the characterization in this novel felt off. Our main character, Ellie, is fine, however she clearly doesn't realize that she's been abused. She excuses her sister's abuse constantly and that can be hard to read for some. Also, her relationship with Daniel, a major supporting character/deuteragonist, raises a few eyebrows. She always describes Daniel as some variation of 'built like a fridge but surprisingly graceful' every time she sees him. Every time. It comes off oddly as they are cousins, and are not supposed to be romantic. 

Other than that mischaracterization, the sci-fi is a bit fuzzy. There is lip service paid to things like general relativity and quantum mechanics, but the way that both characters interact with the Skunkworks feels more like a fantasy. The jargon-laden explanations don't help with this feeling, and after parsing it, don't make sense. So be aware as a reader. 

Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed this novel, and will be eagerly looking out for a sequel. If you let the science wash over you, and can look over some raw characterization, you'll love this book.  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Final rating: 4 stars

Drink paring: Green tea brewed grandpa style, for fixing the universe on the go 

The River She Became: A Revolutionary Romance

 

Author: Emily Varga

Genre: Fantasy, romantasy, dystopia, BIPOC rep

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)

Release Date: August 18th, 2026

TW: Death, child death (on page) racism, body horror, torture

 

This book was blurbed as 'The Mummy meets the Cruel Prince,' and I can see why. This was a fun read, but some aspects were weaker than others. 

But first, the plot: Yasmeena works as a relic hunter-scholar (think archaeologist) for the Citadel, the conquering empire currently oppressing her people. They've been using her knowledge to dig up her people's sacred land rejuvenating relics. These relics (of fey make) will be shipped out of her country, and put into a private museum that her people don't have access to. In addition to this, the Citadel has banned self-expression among Yasmeena's people; they can't wear their traditional clothing or bury their dead. Yasmeena has spent years trying to find the Crown of the Fae Queen, an artifact that will reverse the ravages of her land and take it before the citadel does. But when she crosses the river to escape the Citadel after discovering the vault, she ends up in the fae realm, and ends up in a whole other oppressive regime. Will she be able to survive in this new realm? And who is Kiyan, the handsome and intense captain of the guard, that Yasmeena is drawn to? 

The worldbuilding in this book is amazing (on the fae side). I love the fae, and this book spends eighty percent of its time in the fae realm. We spend a lot of time setting up the intricacies of the fey Courts and their powers. There is a very cool parallel between the Citadel and the Court of Salt, where they both extract resources (the Court of Salt steals powers, and the Citadel takes relics), but their speed is different. The Court of Salt can take people's language and powers, whereas the Citadel takes culture, and is just as brutal, if slower. I felt the fae's pain, and was easily abler to connect them back to the human realm due to the tight worldbuilding for the fae. 

The characters are also quite compelling.  The MMC, the captain Kiyan, is a wonderful character, and is a part of his rebellion while secretly working for the villain. He is complex and grapples with a lot of moral questions, which I enjoyed. His power set is also very cool, and is a result of adaptation rather than 'new powers.' Yasmeena is a brilliant character as well, and very competent. I appreciate the BIPOC representation, as both Kiyan and Yasmeena are dark skinned, which is sadly rare in mainstream romantacy. 

As this is a romantasy, the central relationship is nice. There are a few sex scenes that were competently written, and the leads have chemistry. Also, consent is emphasized, and power dynamics are negotiated and discussed.  

However, for a book blurbed as 'The Mummy' Yasmeena didn't really do much relic hunting outside of the inciting incident. I wish that we could've seen the cultural strata of the fae realm, and would've connected with Yasmeena's work in her world. 

Speaking of her world, the human world is not given much focus after the inciting incident. There is enough there to draw the above-mentioned parallel, but the world feels sketched-in, and very clearly didn't get the worldbuilding the fae realm did, outside of a few things. Yasmeena cares deeply about her people, but the reader doesn't have much of a chance to, aside from basic empathy. (I like that there are unique possibly Middle Eastern inspired elements to their culture, but I want more.)

I hope that Yasmeena's people will get their time to shine  in the sequel which I will definitely be reading. If you like a story of revolution and can forgive some thready worldbuilding, this could be a wonderful read for you.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! 

Final Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Drink Paring: Darjeeling tea for the sweet bite

 

  

The Divine Gardener's Handbook: A Rollicking Ride With A Rocky Start

 

Author: Eli Snow

Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, cozy (?) thriller, political thriller

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)

Release Date: August 18th, 2026

Author: Eli Snow

Genre: Fantasy, science fiction, cozy (?) thriller, political thriller

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)

Release Date: August 18th, 2026

TW: Death, child imprisonment, death of a parent (On page), mass riots

 

I was pleasantly surprised  with this novel, even after a bit of a frantic first chapter. 

But first, the plot: Cyprin lives in a megacity, where rats are some of her best friends (she doesn't have many). She desperately wants to leave her sunless existence, and dreams of working for The Petaled Divine in his Garden, and in the meantime, find her father. To accomplish this, she steals a flower from the Head Gardener of the Garden. However, the Head Gardener Purcell doesn't appreciate this (hot and infuriating) upstart coming in and wrecking things. Can she keep the garden from this new threat? Can Cyprin find her guardian? And what is with the secret area of the Garden no one is allowed to go to? 

The setting makes this book. The massive not built for humans after several layers of habitation city contrasts with the perfect Gardens. Anyone who doesn't work in the Gardens is both physically and mentally trapped. However, the city does contrast with the Garden, and that contrast, also shows the Garden to be a gilded age, which is reflected in its perfect environment. Since flowers and plants are a huge part of the book, the language is suitably vivid. 

 I also appreciate the queer representation, as both Cyprin and Purcell are queer. Their relationship was believable to me. There was a lot of humor in their reactions with one another, and I found myself laughing aloud a few times. This  is not a romance novel, but Purcell and Cyprin both have erotic fantasies so be warned. As an ace person, they were well written and okay to read. 

The first chapter had a breakneck pace, dropping you right into the action. However, this can be a problem, as I had to page back and forth between PoVs because the pacing was very quick. However, once you get the names straight, the story moves forward in a very flowing way. I could also see the characters being very divisive. Purcell starts the story hating Cyprin, and she is quite nasty to her at the start. She does improve later (this is a genuine enemies to lovers story) but be warned. 

Ultimately, if you want a relatively cozy read with some bite,  The Divine Gardener's Handbook is your bouquet of flowers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 

 

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Drink Paring: Rose infused black tea (for the flowers)