Tiffany Tsao

This is the first glimpse of a truly fascinating world in what has the potential to be a spectacular series. Tsao created a character in Murgatroyd Floyd so unassuming that he is practically a caricature. But he is also surprisingly endearing and I found myself rooting for him, feeling sorry for him, and outraged upon his behalf. In our world, Murgatroyd would have never amounted to anything more than Singapore's best waiter, but in Tsao's world of Oddfits, he has the potential to be a great explorer.

The worldbuilding is, as mentioned earlier, truly fascinating. There isn't much detail given on just how the More Known World can exist and how Oddfits can travel between it and the Known World, but I expect that will come in later books as Murgatroyd becomes further pulled into the world of the Questians.

This book took an oddly long time for me to read given how short it was, and how slim on plot it contained. The language in the story exuded a languid feeling and I felt myself deliberately slowing myself down. The plot, what there was, bordered on the ridiculous at times, with a Duck Assassin and parents who so hated their child that they actively invented ways to make his life a living hell. But it still all fit together and didn't feel ridiculous. You could even say that Murgatroyd's Oddfitness was no surprise because he already existed in the weird and strange.

The Oddfits read more like the first part of a larger 700+ page tome than a stand-alone novel, and by itself left me wanting a bit. I'm looking forward to book 2, though, and hope that now that the inevitably slow exposition of first book is dealt with, we'll get more plot and character development.

(Shame about that awful cover. It really doesn't do the book justice.)

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley.… (altro)

The Majesties ( Originally released as 'Uner My Wings')
by Tiffany Tsao.
Atria Books
*** 1/2
#netgalley #themajesties
This family drama about the Sulinados, a Chinese-Indonesian family dynasty, is about two sisters, Gwendolyn and Estella. It opens with Gwendolyn lying in a coma, desperately tyring to regain her memories and consciousness to reveal what happened to her. Is Gwendolyn the only survivor of her sister, Estellas evil poisoining of her family? The book center on Estellas Motives, but the family history is riveting.
The characters are well develped, and easy to become involved with; none of them are very trustworthy. This is a family of great opulance, and they live the life of the rich an famous, visiting Jakarta, Paris, Californias Coast and Melbourne. Gwendolyn has developed a high fashion design using insects and silkkworms, but it is seen as highly controversial. Estella is in an unhappy, stifling marriage to Leonard, who resents his wives familys opulence.
The ending will touch every emotion in your soul.....it is disturbing and unforgettable and will probably anger some readers. I thought it was brilliant.
Read this and see what you think...and feel....
Thanks to Netgalley, and Atria Books and the author, Tiffany Tsao for sending this ebook ARC.… (altro)

Gwendolyn, aka Doll, lies in a coma, the only survivor of her sister's poisoning of their extended family, casting back in her memory of what led up to it and whether it could have been avoided.

The twist at the end had actually crossed my mind in the first few pages but the story was such a fascinating picture of the characters' lifestyle as members of a wealthy elite that are also victims of racial prejudice that I had quite forgotten about it by the time I reached the end, and then I found it unnecessary to the story being told.… (altro)