Temper audiobook

Actual Rating 3.5 Content Warning: Substance Abuse, Queer Elements, Cannibalism, Sexually Explicit ScenesWhen I started reading I was uncertain how this multi-gendered, mostly twin populated world worked. There are four genders male, female, feminized kigen and masculinized kigen. Kigen are created when twins genitalia are mixed in the womb so each twin has different feminine and masculine characteristics. In the book it was described as chimeral gendering. All of the twins in this world share six vices and virtues between them. The vices and virtues do not have to be split evenly.Once I learned more about the world building I started to enjoy the characters and mythology in this book. The characters are what shine. Auben has five vices and one virtue, Kasim has five virtues and one vice. Their relationship is close not only because they cannot be separated too far or risk feeling pain, but because they have developed a great bond. Overtime the relationship becomes more strained as family secrets are revealed. The extensive religious mythology along with the changing surroundings of Auben and Kasim, was overwhelming as the story progresses. While the world building was done well, it took too long for me to get a full picture. Any science based progress or interests are stifled because most of the population follows religious practices instead. In addition to religious differences there are also major class differences. Many people live in poverty while their twin lives in affluent neighborhoods separated by a wall. The book also includes mature content, while it is told from a young person's perspective I would not label this a young adult book. The story had far too much going on to make it flow well for the reader. In the last third of the book things happen at a staggering pace. The last part of the book could have easily been the start of the next book in series. Everything felt compressed and the story struggled to keep my interest towards the end. I did enjoy the queer elements, unique concepts, characters and diverse representation throughout the book. Recommended for Readers who- enjoy unique diverse fantasy- look for well explained world building- enjoy mature content related to sex and sexual orientation**I received this ARC from Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review.**

Actual Rating: 4.5/5Like all Nicky Drayden books once I picked this up I could not put it down, which was good since I read this for a reading challenge to start and finish it in the same day. This alternate world where everyone has a twin and this splits vices and virtue was fascinating and interesting way to explore the idea of balance and moderation. Add that some classic non stop Nicky Drayden twist and turns and it was a very entertaining experience. The ending was stronger for me than others of her works but still not my favorite. There were things that wrapped up a bit to quickly, which is typically my complaint with her books but the ride was still a blast. Also this is a great winter scary read if you are into that. I would also warn that although I would not label this as horror it had some horrific elements. It was not afraid to go there at times and as a result some scenes can be unsettling and graphic. Although this wasn't perfect it still solidified to me that this is an auto-buy author for me now and I can't wait for her next release.

Premise: In Temper, Drayden takes you on a journey of self-discovery in a world where virtually everyone is born with a twin and goes through a ritual in which the seven human vices and their opposites are divided between the two, favoring the Greater Twin. Auben, a Lesser Twin, is our sole point of view and guide into his world and society, where religion, mysticism and forbidden technologies all play a part and all want their share of him.Style of narration: What I really like about this book is that we do not get everything that's happening spoonfed to us. This fundamentally sets it apart (in my mind, at least) from Drayden's previous book, The Prey of Gods. Auben's POV is limited to what he knows; often times the plot is also progressing elsewhere, only to fully reveal its advancements at a later point. This is very difficult to do and may not sound good at face value, but Drayden manages to clue us in just enough during the events of the book that we always have some idea or understanding that the plot is unfolding just beyond our knowledge. This is something that leaves Auben frustrated while leaving the reader intrigued. As I've gone back and re-read multiple passages of the book, I guarantee that many twists and reveals are foreshadowed or hinted at just enough that a reader who's paying attention and doing the deductive work should be able to have an idea of what's to come. I love that! I love that the events narrated in the book aren't just "A happens, then B, then C". Rather, it's more like "you see A happen, you hear about something that eventually turns out to be B, with this new information you end up causing C". I feel like it's a lot more akin to how we receive and react to information in real life.Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding is nothing short of fantastic. You can really picture the grim conditions of the area the twins reside in, the majestic halls of Gabadamosi Preparatory, and the harsh vegetation of Grace Mountain. I loved how the religion of Grace and Icy Blue was fleshed out, and I thought the conflict between religion and technology was very interesting. The mysticism and the kigen (twins born as intersex due to fairly common exchanges of some physical traits in the womb) are other aspects that I thought fit in quite well. Drayden does a great job of giving us the necessary info a little bit at a time, not enough for us to have to go through pages of exposition, but just enough so we have an idea of what's going on and we don't feel like we got hit by a deus ex machina.Characters: There are a lot of characters in this book, considering it's less than 300 pages long. Several of them end up being more important than you'd initially think, so pay attention to them all because Drayden starts handing out clues from page one. They all feel authentic to me and they're easy to distinguish and to remember, and I think there's a really good balance between serious moments and technically unnecessary (from a plot perspective, I mean) light-hearted fun which really does a good job of fleshing the characters out. I absolutely adored Munashe.-A Sidenote on Auben and Kasim: I've seen some people say they didn't like Auben, which is a major downer if you wanted to enjoy the book since the entire story is narrated through him. I understand what they mean though. I was not sympathetic towards him when I first started reading. He seemed like the kind of guy I just never got along with in school; always after the ladies (even through trickery or semi-magical means), clearly doesn't care much about school or authority, fakes an illness to force his brother to leave an exam and come check on him, and steals from a mystic beggar slash street vendor, all within the first chapter! But as things start to spiral out of control, Auben gradually changes, making difficult choices and showing a strong sense of responsibility. Eventually it feels like it's you and him against the rest of the world, or like you're listening to a friend telling you about a long, dreadful day. At any rate, I grew to like him. His brother Kasim is a very interesting figure, at parts friend and at parts enemy or rival, and I think Drayden did a great job in capturing and magnifying certain aspects of what it's like to have a twin or even just a sibling. This is one of the few times I've read a book and wished I could reread it through the eyes of another character. You'll understand why if you read Temper (which I highly recommend you do!).Criticism: there's a point near the end where the book lost me for a while, I think because after The Big Thing happens (TBT being what most of the book was building up to) I expected, as it often happens in these types of books (and similar to how it happened in The Prey of Gods), the plot to quickly wrap up a few loose threads and then to give us an idea of what the future held for our characters. Instead, the story jumps forward several months and introduces a few new points of conflict. Eventually though, the story ties up its loose plot points and winds down to a conclusion. I personally found the first part of this process a bit jarring and I think others might too since it deviates from the usual formula, but I also don't think it's without merit or handled poorly.tl, dr: good execution on a style of narration which is tricky to pull off, vibrant characters, very interesting premise which is fleshed out throughout the book, somewhat unusual conclusion but still a great, great read over all. I highly recommend it.[I received an advanced copy of this book intended for review.]

To whom it may concern: I won a free autographed copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Neener neener neener. Yes, I suppose authors and/or publishers could buy good reviews, but it seems as though it would be more cost effective to just write good books ...An impressive job of world building! I confess that I’m highly ignorant of African cultures and history, so I don't have a clue as to where exactly reality leaves off and Nicky Drayden’s fertile imagination takes over. So we have an alternate Africa, a world where most births result in twins. The pairs share some sort of psychic link such that the farther apart they get, the worse they feel. And for every one of seven virtues a twin has, their twin has its corresponding vice. The twin with more vices than virtues is considered the lesser of the pair. Auben and Kasim Mtuze represent a rare case of Auben possessing six vices and Kasim only one. But, in addition to his vices, Auben also hears voices urging him to indulge them. He begins to suspect a demon lurks within …This is a deeply imagined world, populated by memorable characters. Drayden has even come up with a religion, as well as a society that accepts androgynes as a distinct sex with separate pronouns.I found the book to be fascinating and compelling … for about the first two thirds. The pacing seems to go wonky about the point everything starts hitting the fan. I don't want to give anything away, but the book suddenly shifts into fast foward. It's as if Drayden knew how it began and ended, but couldn't quite figure out how to link the two, and just rushed through it hoping that sheer momentum would carry everything. It's not a huge flaw; everything just goes sideways and it took me a bit to reorient myself.If you're looking for something truly different in the way of Fantasy/SF books, definitely check this one out. Recommended!

Auben is an engaging, morally grey protagonist. The voice of Icy Blue compels him to do terrible things, but he'd done not-as-terrible things before his possession. This is a society with 3 genders, and there's a trans side character. There's a lot of conflicts in this book - Auben v himself, Auben v Kasim, religious v secular factions, etc.. Towards the end, it felt like some things got lost in the shuffle and that not every plot line was given its dues. I generally liked that I didn't know where the plot was going and that the characterizations felt consistent. This was a thrilling read, and I zipped through it.

Loved it! What a ride! Review will be up tomorrow, fingers crossed!

I received an advanced copy of this book intended for review. I loved Temper just as much as Drayden's last book, The Prey of Gods. This book has some incredibly strong world building and development of the main character, whose POV we maintain throughout the whole book. I loved the strong divisions between the rich and the poor, the wicked and the good, and I would have loved to see more from some of the other characters. Like The Prey of Gods, I got the impression that the ending was much tougher to write; it felt a bit rushed and it was a bit vague and thus hard to follow. That said, I enjoyed it anyways and really appreciated how everything was tied off.I eagerly await the next book from Nicky Drayden, and I can't wait to share this book.

I greatly enjoyed Prey of Gods and was curious for more - and Temper does not disappoint! It took me a bit of time to get into the story, the book jumps right in and you sort things out as you go (twins with vices? Weird uncles? A god and a demon?). Nonetheless, I soon got comfortable in this world of twins and by around half the book, I could hardly put it down. All the weird, seemingly random things from the beginning come together so nicely and every detail suddenly makes sense. A few times I thought I knew how it would turn out, but was (pleasantly, cleverly) surprised by the real state of things. Oh, such a good read!

Holy shitballs. This is amazing???You can read my full review here!

This story was wonderfully weird. I've read Drayden's first novel and several of her stories, and she is one of the most imaginative authors I've come across. She's imaginative and uninhibited in her storytelling. So, she jumps right into this world, and she doesn't info dump. You're in a new world, and you'll figure things out as any adventurer--as you go along. It took me a couple of pages to realize that this world has more than two genders, and her use of pronouns reflects this. This may turn some readers off, but go with it. You'll get used to it. (If you've already been reading things doing this, woo! Then this story is absolutely for you.) But to be clear, this isn't a story about different genders. They are simply part of the story, part of the world. I was interested in the idea of characters be given clear vices and virtues, a world defined by twins and gods. I think there is so much more to this world that I'd like to understand. If she writes more stories set here, I'll read them.

I received an advance ebook to review. I really enjoyed Temper, although it wasn't quite the home run for me that The Prey of Gods was. Temper is a little darker and the whole book is from Auben's point of view as he comes of age, explores his world and makes choices about his place within it. I personally am less drawn to this teenage boy's perspective than I was to some of the characters in The Prey of Gods; I found myself wishing to visit the perspective of some of the other characters in Temper, such as Auben's mother or his uncle. As with The Prey of Gods, page one hits the ground running and the world-building is blended into the rolling plot, an approach I appreciate.I'm not quite sure how to categorize this novel; magical realism is probably the most accurate, but it's also afro-mystic-futuristic? The premise of the book is that each set of twins has seven vice/virtue pairings divided between them: the "greater" twin has fewer vices (and correspondingly more virtues) and the "lesser" twin has the opposite pairings. Their vices are branded on their arms for everyone to see, and the twins also need to stay in relatively close physical proximity to one another. This creative premise is fleshed out in ways that provide a fresh investigation of family dynamics and familial push/pull, love/hate routines--between siblings, parents, extended relatives and even society writ large. Temper left me with some philosophical musings that I'm still chewing on.

This novel is absolute perfection. You can read the summary without me explaining it here, so I’ll just start by saying this is one of those books that feels like diving into the deep end of the pool. The world building isn’t going to make sense right off and that’s okay — you’re visiting some place new. Each revelation is astounding, each of the many sharp turns is surprising and satisfying. There are plenty books that toss in twists for twists’ sake — this isn’t one of them. Every shock feels like it’s just as it should be... even if I didn’t see it coming. So, perfect characterization, amazing plot, fantastic world building... This is the whole package. You must read this.

I’m struggling a bit with how to describe this book so that other people will want to read it. And I want other people to read it, because as of right now I don’t have anyone to talk to about it and that is agony. The problem is that I’ve never read anything else quite like this book and that makes it kind of a challenge. So, I’m going to try to describe a little bit about what this book is like (hopefully without revealing too much), and open the whole thing up by just saying straight out that I think that Nicky Drayden is a really exciting fantasy writer who’s writing fantasy that’s not like anything else out there, and that I think not enough people are reading her. And I’d really like that to change because I want to talk about this book!Temper is a complex mashup of fantasy and science fiction and a dash of horror, and it’s set in an alternate South African nation where babies almost universally are born as sets of twins. People in this nation are judged by their virtues (symbolized by the religious figure Grace) and their vices (symbolized by Icy Blue), to the degree that they’re tattooed with them in childhood. The main characters in the story, Auben and his twin Kasim, are unusual in their world because Kasim has all of the virtues and only one vice, leaving his twin with all of the vices and only one virtue. With only one virtue, the chances that Auben will have a decent life are slim and the chances that his twin will leave him behind are great. (This is where I have to start getting selective in what I share… Spoilers, you know.) Auben’s vices lead him to get into trouble, perhaps including exposing himself to an evil force that leaves him in need of religious protection. Things get more complex from there, and the only thing I feel comfortable saying is that whatever you think is going on, you’re probably wrong. And you’ll probably be wrong a few more times before you get to the answer. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll have so much fun getting there. You’ll get to explore a world where the privileged live elbow-to-elbow with the destitute and where being separated from your twin causes physical pain or even madness. A world that focuses on religion while an underground scientific society designs steampunky clockwork devices and steam engines. You’ll get to see gods and demons moving through the city, and the main characters struggling with their destiny. It’s completely unique, dark but hopeful, absorbing, and has something to say about what we value, how we treat each other, and how too much of anything isn’t great. I was fascinated the whole time I was reading, and I can’t wait to read more Nicky Drayden.If you’re in the market for more African inspired stories of the fantastic, it’s impossible not to point out Nnedi Okorafor. Try Lagoon.If you’re looking for another story where gods walk among humankind that’s both magical and a little bit dark, try Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.For an author who adds a darkness to her fantasy that borders it on horror but definitely qualifies as weird and fascinating, try Lauren Beukes. Broken Monsters is my personal favorite.-Meagan

Initially, I did not think I would like this book, primarily because I did not know where the story was headed. There is a lot of details regarding the twin brothers, Auben and Kasim and their strained relationship. Midway through the story I began to see why so much time was spent on this. Also by the midway point, I was totally committed to wanted to know what was going to happen. I can't recall if the story was set on Earth or a planet similar to it, but try not to get caught up in figuring out timelines, Nicky Drayden did a bit of world building and came up with her own rules. I would give this a 3.5 rating