Premise was intriguing, but the execution was meh. So much happened that in the end it got confusing and I was left wondering how did we get here.

2,5 rounded to 3
I listened to the audiobook (thanks NetGalley), after I requested it based on the cover, title and summary.
I think it's safe to say it's not what I expected, and partly it's my fault, but I wish I had come up to this book in another time in my life, and I probably will read it again, taking my time and googleing everything I need ot google. I feel like I miss a lot of back-story to appreciate this fully.
Because this book is a wonderful combination of prose and poetry, the words flow and the imagry is vivid in every scene. All the characters are distinct and clear in my mind. Although I fail to connect all the stories whithin the story (and here is where I am lacking knowledge), I can tell they are all part of a big network that links them, and I wish to be able to see it. This is why I will try the print version of this in the future.
The narrator's performance was flawless, it helped with the immersion in a world so different from my own.

This book was so much stranger than anything I've read recently, but ultimately, I really enjoyed it. Rakesfall is a good example of why I wish it was possible to read (or listen to) excerpts on the Netgalley site before requesting a book. I think it would be a lot easier for the right readers to find books like these, and readers who may not be the target audience would be less likely to request.

Anyway, I digress. The audio narration was stunning, and the narrator was such a lovely complement to Chandrasekera's gorgeous prose. Had it not been for the way the narrator brings the story to life, I think I would have struggled with the book a lot more than I did.

I don't even know how best to describe this book, and I think it's probably better to go in knowing very little about it. That said, I would recommend reading the first few paragraphs to see if the writing clicks, because it is... strange. Reincarnated soulmates is one of my all-time favorite tropes, and to me, that's really what this book is about. Love, and finding the one you love again and again, across time, regardless of the bodies the characters inhabit. There were important conversations about gender that I think worked really well in the story Chandrasekera was telling. Overall, I would recommend Rakesfall but reservedly, and only for the readers who are willing to put in the work to love it.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely loved this. I read Saint of Bright Doors earlier this year and was completely blown away, and this book is even better. Vajra does an incredible job weaving stories within stories, boldly ignoring genre conventions and creating some of the most beautiful turns of phrase. The narrator does a wonderful job here. I am not usually one for audiobooks as I find it hard to get into them but I was hooked. I know this is not a book for everyone, but if you love stories that play with form I think you should give this one a try. An incredibly ambitious and captivating story by an author who is quickly becoming one of my faves. I'll be picking up the hardcover so I can immerse myself in this prose.

I am sending this review to publishing, but not posting anywhere.

I like to think that i am a reader who can handle a tale with a lot of twists and lofty ideas but i simply couldnt get past 20% in this book, and i actually started over and listened all over again, and still found myself ending at the same place. I felt like it was too hard for me to even really follow the thread of lives from one timeline to the next, and then couldnt decide if it was real or imagined. I really struggled and rather than keep struggling, im moving on. This just wasnt for me.

On the positive i thought this narrator had a lovely voice, did great voices, and in no way contributed to my confusion, so claps for her.

This book… simply was. I don’t think I fully understand the point. I listened to it as an Arc from NetGalley, I feel like if I could sit and actually read it I may enjoy it more.

As I told my roommate “this is now something I have read”

I love the concept of the same character moving between place and time, especially playing with gender and identity. I'm 33% in and I can't tell you what's happening. Which typically I'd be okay with, but because the character(s) keep switching time, place and identity I am having trouble connecting with them.

The narrator, Shiromi Arserio was great. I think they're a big reason I made it so far into the book. I'll definitely look for more books narrated by them.

I really tried to understand what on earth was happening in this book and I just couldn't. I think this was an ambitious idea for a book, but it just didn't work for me, and at no point was I feeling connected, immersed, interesting, or anything at all. The cover is stunning and I think the narrator did an okay job, but the story itself just didn't work for me at all. I thought I would really like this, but it's just too confusing and convoluted for me to enjoy.

I liked the audiobook, really enjoyed the narrator.
The writing was good but I didn't get invested in the plot. The beginning was really strong, I was really intrigued, and then it just fell apart.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautifully written story about love. Following these characters through every act of life and genre was something I believe I'll only experience once. Rakesfall should be up there with stories like This is How You Lose the Time War. Now, I will say not everyone is going to vibe with it, but I did. Once I truly understood what Chandrasekra was trying to say and do, I understood the true beauty of the novel. The conversation on gender is also something that amazed me every time it got brought up. This was a love for better or for worse that it didn't matter what bodies they were in, they'd find each other.

I can't recommend enough especially if you love weird things.

ngl i had no idea what was going on for an embarrassingly large part of this book. such a pretty cover i thought this was going to be one of those romantasy books that booktok girls go crazy for... well, i was wrong! it was really all vibes, no plot.
i thought the writing was lyrical and there were some beautiful lines that would catch my attention and then I'd drift off again... maybe it was simply not for me but i just do not like when books that make the reader work so hard!

The writing was messy and it was hard to keep track of anything that was going on. I did finish this even though I didn't want to, but the world building and everything was lacking.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this audiobook as I found it really hard to keep track of what was going on. The story itself sounds so interesting, but I got a bit over an hour in and had no idea what was going on. They were describing a TV show I think? This is definitely a book you'll want to read physically.

Sadly, I just could not follow and had to DNF. This has been my first DNF in quite sometime. I apprieciate this opportunity to give this a try.
1.5/5

The concept was interesting, the execution was... interesting, I guess. I'll be honest, this whole thing was like a fever dream, I'm not even sure I understood what the hell was going on. The writing was beautiful but made the whole thing a little clunky and difficult to understand because the author would get lost in their pretty sentences and forget where they were intending to go. I may give it a second try another time but right now it wasn't a great experience.