First off - WHOA. Cry, Voidbringer has been one of the most difficult reads for me in 2025. Does “difficult” mean “bad”? Absolutely not!! This author so expertly crafted complex characters navigating various shades of personal trauma, difficult emotions, and clashing motivations. The reader is given a birds eye view of rampant false promises, and is left facing the terrifying truth that complacency only breeds tyrants.

If you are looking for a happy go lucky fantasy book that’s a light read, this is not the one for you. But if you’re ready for a heavier, war torn book that makes you feel uncomfortable at times, definitely give this a try! The book’s overall vibes? Horrifying. But the execution of the writing, the presentation of the cruelties of tyrants, and the narrative of unchecked power choking the tiniest ray of hope? EXCELLENT. I was honestly blown away by this book. When I put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. There were so many moments that share similarities with real life oppression strategies, the danger of corruption, and how inaction against an onslaught of political manipulation will leave no one unaffected in the end. This book presents and forces its readers to grapple with complicated feelings, all set in a fantastical world filled with Gods, gifted individuals and wartime tactics. I was stressed when I wasn’t reading this book! And quite honestly, this is a book I will not easily ever forget. Brace yourself, and check this out on October 28, 2025! Thank you to Elaine Ho, Michael LaBorn and Bindery Books for allowing me to receive an advanced reader copy!

I really enjoyed this book! I came in as an empty slate; I found the book on NetGalley and was intrigued by the premise! It ended up being a unique, and emotional fantasy. I am impressed by this debut and look forward to reading more from the author! I cannot stop thinking about this story and characters, and am so glad I got to read it!

I loved the theme of found family within the book, and how people have different roles in their various families (daughter, mother, friend) This book is filled ith complex characters that readers will love, or love to hate.

The characters are well crafted, and the story weaves them together in a brutal struggle to free themselves from being powerless in a struggle for land

The last act of this book felt like getting kicked in the ribs in the best way. I was non-functional for the rest of the day after finishing this book.

A brutally honest tale that holds not just its characters, but its readers accountable for their role in the rise of tyranny. Elaine Ho's raw, unflinching storytelling coils around your chest and squeezes. Cry, Voidbringer is unlike anything I have ever read before.
- R. A. Basu, author of To Bargain with Mortals

This is the best book I've read so far this year.

Cry, Voidbringer is a debut fantasy novel that follows: Hammer, a soldier, whose main goal is survival. Viridian, a child with god-like powers. And Naias, a commander, who wants to prevent the current ruler from making the same mistakes as the previous ones.

This novel has themes of tyranny, oppression, broken systems, sacrifice, found family, survival, and so much more.


*Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery for the eArc*

I think this is a book that is needed right now. It is one that deals with political manipulation, oppression and the corruption of power. The author did a great job creating characters that felt real. There are so many interconnecting stories and motivations and it was heartbreaking to read, but needed to be read. The characters were not perfect, they had flaws and their own ideas about what is right. The ending was not tied up perfectly with a bow, it was fractured and hurt, like endings in the real world. I think the author did a wonderful job creating a fantasy world that mirrors the world with all of its flaws but with heroes willing to fight for it. I can only hope that we have real life heroes that are willing to fight for our world the way the characters in this book did.

Hot damn, talk about a book that pulls no punches. There are some really heavy themes here, and the author doesn’t shy away from their brutality and ugliness. But my favorite part has got to be the character work. The cast runs the full gamut: characters you want to root for, characters you want to see change, and characters you want to absolutely throttle. I find that a lot of times with multi-POV books, I always have one favorite that I’m impatient to get back to, but here, I was equally invested with each. If I had one complaint, it would be that the pacing is a bit off in the middle, but it picks back up in the third act and finishes with a bang.

Cry VoidBringer By Elaine Ho is a dark anarchist story about powerful women, resistance to colonialism and tyranny, and the dangerous allure of complicity. This was an amazing, beautiful, and powerful story that is going to be THE BOOK of 2025.

Starting this book I knew it would be powerful, that it would deal with issues that feel both so far from reality, but also incredibly relevant to the world we are living in. It is the sort of story that at first makes you think " that kind of thing would never happen to me" or "I could NEVER do that kind of thing!"

Sometimes we get so ground down by what the world throws at us that it is easy to just give up and not push for change or expect better from life or the people around us. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking we are doing things to improve life for all, when our actions are really only serving ourselves.

This story is about women who are surviving in the different ways they have each been pushed into by the world and their individual experiences and how they react and change when a young girl with a rare and dangerous ability that could change the entire path of their world is found. But what will they each be willing to do or sacrifice to save what they value?

“You read our lives because you want to be entertained. But it’s the same story. Of death, and tyranny, and the banality of it all.”

Cry, Voidbringer weaves together three perspectives, that of Hammer, Viridian and Naias to tell a story of anger, loneliness, anti-colonialism and found family.

Hammer was wretched from her home and culture as a child to serve as a Faceless, a second-class citizen soldier (little more than a slave) in Ashvi. Her years as a Faceless and the seeming endlessness of the war against Tevu has hardened her heart.

Viridian is a child that Hammer accidentally saves during a mission. She was predicted by Tevu’s prophet queen to have a power that could change the fate of the war and the world.

Naias is the commander of the Faceless, having been raised from the same fate by becoming the lover of the queen, Khall. Khall is a nervous and new queen, not yet sure of how to operate the throne with the fresh memory of her father’s death on her mind. Perhaps it’s thankful then that Naias can be such a helping hand.

~*~*~

4.75/5 stars

I absolutely ate this and up. This was absolute excellence.

This is a dark story, and the characters don’t always make the “right” choice. They are complex and grey, but the author does a good job of establishing their characters so it could not have gone any other way.

It should be noted that you are dropped right into the world - it is expected of the reader to pick up the world as you go, since they don’t stop and explain anything. This is my preferred style of world building, so I really appreciated this. On the topic of world building, I really enjoyed it. Even if we didn’t see the entirety of the world, I liked the bits we did. It felt solid and realistic. I liked the different gods/religion and how the magic system was divine in nature (a particular favourite of main as a cleric main <3).

I found the entire really engaging and provoking, though it did drag at some points (though this was purposeful. It is hard to explain without spoiling, but I promise it was a creative choice. While I agree with the choice, it didn’t stop me from getting through that section much slower than the rest).

There were some choice use of second person narration, and I felt they really added to the story. I enjoyed the choice of which characters to follow - it would’ve been a different story if we followed other ones, and I don’t think the message would have been as impactful.

The world was queernormative, and a large majority of the characters were casually queer, which I deeply appreciate. There is a prominent f/f relationship, a bisexual main character and an important non binary side character, none of which is challenged (ie: homophobia or transphobia) by the narrative.

All in all, a fantastic story that I highly recommend you pick up when it comes out in October (2025), especially if you’re a fan of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco.

~*~*~

Content warnings: Gore/descriptions of violence, genocide, drug use (opium), slavery, child abuse and death, colonisation


Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books (via Left Unread).

This book takes commitment because it will hurt, several times I had to make myself go back and read the harsh passages. The way the author executed the themes of suffering and entertainment. This is most definitely a must read.

I really enjoyed the world building and the magic in this book. I really loved the idea of it all but I found myself wanting more. It felt like there was so much backstory that could be brought to light but maybe that’s just me wanting more.

This was such a powerful story and the writing was great! I would definitely look into trigger warnings prior to reading if you’re sensitive to trauma and violence!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho. This book opens up at full speed and throws you in the elaborate world Ho has created. Both the world and the characters are complex, challenging, and powerful, and so each chapter brings a new layer to process.

Cry, Voidbringer is full of political intrigue, relationships that warm your heart as well as ones that chill you to the bone, and perspectives on war from all sides. Ho does an incredible job crafting a story that is both original and reminiscent of the world we know.

As a Bindery supporter for this book, I am thrilled to be connected even in a small way to this project. I believe the world needs stories like this because they show the patterns that destroy us individually and throughout the world. If we’re smart, we will learn how to recognize and avoid these pitfalls. Ho is a voice to watch out for and Cry, Voidbringer is not to be missed

Thank you to bindery books for the arc. This book surprised me. I knew it had to be good because I trust a lot of people who have read this so far. And it really didn’t disappoint. Such a layered and dynamic read. At times it was tough to read more due to the trauma happening. I will definitely be rereading this once my physical copy comes in!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the opportunity to read this eARC!

WOW! I just wow. Nothing I say about Cry, Voidbringer will do it any justice. All I can say is preorder this book, put it on top of your TBR, and enjoy getting lost in this world.

I really enjoyed this one! It was well-paced, with compelling characters and genuine moral ambiguity. So many books these days will be advertised as having "morally grey characters" and it's almost never really true, so I was thrilled that that's not the case here. There are no easy answers in this book, and the most unsympathetic characters are still very human. There are a couple of twists I DID NOT see coming--props to this book for actually being able to surprise my jaded reader self.

The worldbuilding was layered and intriguing, and I'm interested to see the wider scope of things in future books. This one leaves off on a pretty significant cliffhanger, and I will definitely be picking up the sequel to where it goes!

4.5/5 stars

Whoa this book!

In this epic fantasy we follow the interconnected lives of a soldier, a royal advisor, and a child with magical powers with the potential of changing the outcome of the ongoing war as they do what they can to survive in a system of oppression, each facing impossible scenarios where they are forced to make terrible choices.

The storytelling was masterful, with a mixture of third and first person narratives for different characters to help bring out their personalities in each chapter, and the plot was fast-paced and kept me on my toes at all times.

This was a fantastic debut with an impressive and well developed world that will make you feel the feels and leave you wanting more.

Thank you Bindery and NetGalley for this eARC in return for my honest review.

"Cry Void Bringer" plunges into a morally complex world where survival clashes with the burgeoning responsibility for another. The synopsis paints a grim picture of Ashvi, a kingdom desperate enough to tear children from their homes in a bid to reclaim its former glory. In this broken system, we meet Hammer, a soldier hardened by war and focused solely on self-preservation – a stark reflection of the brutal realities she's endured.
The arrival of Viridian, a child wielding immense and unpredictable power, acts as the catalyst for Hammer's transformation. The synopsis deftly sets up this pivotal shift, hinting at the profound impact Viridian has on Hammer's carefully constructed defenses. The queen's desperate ambition to weaponize Viridian adds a layer of chilling urgency, forcing Hammer to confront the very system that molded her into a survivor.
The central conflict – Hammer's desire to protect Viridian against the queen's machinations – promises a compelling exploration of loyalty, sacrifice, and the cost of liberation. The nuance introduced by the colonized cities' potential resistance to the queen's "liberation" adds a welcome layer of political intrigue and raises questions about the true meaning of freedom.

I wasn’t prepared for Cry, Voidbringer to hit as hard as it did. I went in expecting dark fantasy, but what I got was something a lot deeper—something that stayed with me long after I finished.

The worldbuilding is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It feels fully realized without ever overwhelming you with details. Everything you need to understand about the gods, the cities, and the broken systems people are trapped in, you learn through survival moments, not exposition. It’s a brutal world, but it’s also stunning in how carefully it’s built.

The book starts with Hammer, a jaded soldier who’s been surviving for so long she’s almost forgotten what anything else feels like. The beginning is a little slower as it follows her younger years and how she ended up where she is, but once the story picks up—with the introduction of Viridian and the impossible choices that follow—it becomes impossible to put down.

Hammer, Viridian, Naias, and Khall are some of the most complicated, believable characters I’ve read in a long time. None of them are easily heroic, and every choice they make feels both inevitable and heartbreaking. Viridian is caught between being a child who deserves protection and a weapon everyone else wants to control, and that conflict sits at the heart of the story. Watching Hammer slowly, painfully start to care again wrecked me.

This isn’t an easy book. It’s violent, both physically and emotionally. It digs into colonialism, survival, complicity, and grief in ways that never feel cheap or easy. But there’s also something stubbornly hopeful underneath it all—a quiet belief that survival and healing are still possible, even when the world has taken almost everything.

Cry, Voidbringer is one of the best books I’ve read in years. Elaine Ho’s writing is sharp, devastating, and full of heart. I’ll be thinking about these characters—and everything they fought for—for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

i cannot recommend this book enough, and i must stress the importance of actually taking in what it is saying. although, the text itself will directly address you and make you understand so the only way someone could miss the messages portrayed is willful ignorance.

amongst the stories of corruption, oppression, war, grief, loneliness, betrayal, colonialism, tyranny... there is also a story of hope, and of love, and of power in resistance. There's found family, and moments of true humanity, and a deeply rich fantasy world that just keeps impressive right to the very end.

unfortunately for me, this is in fact the first in a series and so ends on a cliffhanger. it would not be the first ARC i have read a long time before release that i finished already desperate for the next book but this is definitely the worst.

i can't wait to buy this when it is released in October.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is heavy. It is brutal. There are gory moments.
But the violence that lingers most is the emotional kind.
Still, there is light here. There is connection. There is tenderness in the cracks. And there is an insistence, quiet and unwavering, that healing is not only possible, but worth reaching for even if it hurts

This was beautiful, the last third had me gripping my kindle, unable to put it down. i loved the twists, the rage, the heartbreak, all of it. i can't wait to see the hype this book will get when its released.

Wow. I don’t have the right words to do this book justice. Cry, Voidbringer is not for the weak. It is gritty, it is heartbreaking, and it is INCREDIBLE. I have no idea where Elaine Ho pulled this from in her brain but I really hope she has a lot more where this came from. Perhaps the best fantasy I’ve read in quite awhile.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the opportunity to read this eARC!

Thank you to #netgalley for providing an e-arc of this book! Cry, Voidbringer releases on October 25, 2025.

Y'all this book. THIS BOOK. I have been SHAKEN to my very core. I was stunned speechless. I was screaming and crying. I love a good found family story and this book delivered just that - then ripped it away from me along with my heart. The void it left me, if you will...

The fact that the character CONFRONTS the readers about their judgments. I physically recoiled.

As a book lover, I will never stop reading and supporting authors from Palestine, Sudan, the DRC, the so-called Xin Jiang region, and any places that are being occupied and exploited. That said, I must admit the fact that books have also been used as not just mere distracting entertainment but also propaganda by the empires. The fact that certain (yt) authors have no qualms writing about the justice of violently resisting an evil empire yet refuse to acknowledge, let alone support real life resistance (looking at you Brandon Sanderson). The fact that readers can read these books and fail to take absolutely anything away from them. Reading and supporting marginalized authors are important but they can't be the only things we do. They are not enough to stop the exploitation, occupations and genocides.

Bleak tales like Cry, Voidbringer should never be treated as just entertainment, one that people read and go "aw that was so sad but so moving" and then forget all about. They must become reminders that we need to keep resisting in our own ways, towards a liberated future for all of us.

Thank you to Elaine Ho, Bindery books, and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I want to start this review apologising as I won't be able to describe what this book did to me, but I'll try my best, I promise.

First of all, let's talk about characters. One of my favourite things or reasons I asked for this Arc is that the main points of view are from women. What I wasn't expecting was how well constructed they would be, how you can see their true self without any filter. You may not love all of them and, even then, find yourself understanding how they did end up in their positions and how they made their decisions. You get to know their souls. Even when I thought that a decision was wrong, there was a voice in my head telling me: this is how it should be. There wasn’t a single page where anyone felt out of character. And don't even let me start with the character arcs!

I won't lie. This is not an easy read. This book feels real; raw and cruel as it is. I spent many hours crying through the pages. It gives you perspective about humanity, how war works, and how it affects differently depending on your positioning. The novel makes you see the ugliness in people but also their beauty. How, even in the hardest of the hearts, there is kindest but also how there is destruction in the softest ones.

There are not many books that can change a reader, but I consider "Cry, Voidbringer" has changed me.

Also, I want to acknowledge Elaine Ho's voice, her writing, her mind. “How?” That is all I can say. How can someone plan this whole perfection?
As a reader, it felt like seeing thousands of domino pieces waiting to fall down at the right moment and not being able to stop them from falling into place. Every time a decision or action a character takes makes a direct impact on a future event, you can't see it coming. It is like a spiderweb taken to another level.

Someone may now realise I haven't explained a single thing about the actual content of the book, but in this case, I have the feeling that even the smallest information would be a spoiler. What I'll say instead is that I am for sure following Elaine closely. I don't know what she is writing next, but I can promise that I will be reading it.

Cry, Voidbringer is a book I’m never going to get out of my head. I loved every second of this book and its characters, all a narrative for tyranny that we need now more than ever. Elaine Ho has become not only an auto-read author for me, but an auto-buy. This book was masterfully written, lulling you into a false sense of calm before ripping your heart apart.

The book opens to us meeting Hammer, a Faceless solider who was conscripted to another nations army when she was a child. During a job with another Faceless, Crescent (they are not permitted their own names, only the name of their weapons) they steal a godchild named Viridian. The three of them become inseparable, becoming a small family in short amount of time. And then Viri’s power awakens and nothing is ever the same again.

This book’s world building is a master class on how to make it feel fully fleshed out without becoming tedious. In cases where it does feel like a fully realized world, most books can leave readers feeling confused, mixing up the different names of places or gods or even the characters. And yet, with this book featuring a number of names for the same characters, I was never confused through it which proves just how much care went into crafting this book. Same goes for how the characters are crafted. Every character was fully realized and not a single one was one dimensional. They were not wholly good or bad, showing just how human they really are. Khall is a naive queen new to the throne, but becomes twisted and abusive as her fear overtakes her. Naias has been a weapon her life and only sees the world as another battle she has to conquer, which makes her twist her love for Khall. Hammer has a hard exterior but a soft heart for those she loves, but when pushed her anger over what life has dealt her is all encompassing.

This book is queer normative, which I loved a lot. There was also depictions of disability.

I cannot state however how dark this book can get and I highly recommend looking up trigger warnings for this book. This includes: racism, abuse, violence, war, death, gore, child soldiers, murder, PTSD episodes, children stolen from their families, trauma, grief, and more.

This book is highly original and takes place in a fresh fantasy world that I haven’t seen before. The writing is rich and colorful, and the characters are just as complex. It was a ride to go through with them and I was always excited for what was to come next for them. Overall I highly recommend, as this is a wonderful story.

This book….was a ride. I read it in the span of three days (cause work 😩) and I loved it so much. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful.

We are introduced to Hammer, an enslaved warrior, who is on a mission. She doesn’t want to be there but she has no choice. She has no say in her life at all. But during this mission she and another member of the “faceless” fighters uncover and rescue a child, but not just any child. Viridian is a god child, one who will manifest powers from the god that chooses to tie their soul to them.

From this meeting the fates of Hammer and Viridian are sealed and we are lead on a journey of oppression, love, war, grief and betrayal. This was such an emotional experience that it just hurts my heart for the characters in this story.

What I sampled was intriguing, fascinating, and made me want more. Since this is an ARC, there are some formatting issues on my ereader that prevent me from being able to read this work in full currently.

That being said, I am beyond excited for the release of this book! The portion I sampled I heavily enjoyed. The writing style was unique yet easy to follow and the plot line pulled me in.

Thank you so much for allowing me to sample this eARC (I received a free eARC). I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.

This was an excellent read!

The fantasy world was definitely original, reminding me of the Eastern world with nomadic tribes, and I loved how different point of views were explored (warriors, children, rulers). All the voices were clearly recognizable and original, and even though I am not a big fan of first person narration, I think the choice of having only Viri and her child's point of view in first person was brilliant... and heartbreaking. The Faceless warriors were also such a great concept!

Also, Hammer/Elera. I was craving a ruthless female warrior character that hates caring for people until... Well. Her character development was amazing and felt so natural.
The end caught me by surprise, and I mean... what a cliffhanger!
I will definitely be looking forward to book 2!

There was so much happening and I cannot wait for more by this author. Incredible. Highly recommend. Also, the writing style was spectacular.

Wow! What an epic read…. Lots of strong female leads, magic, politics, love and war. Fantastic book. Thank you to the author, please write more. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

thank you net galley for allowing me to read this early!!

this book was phenomenal. the characters were so complex, drawing you in yet pushing you away at the same time. it’s so refreshing to have such complex characters, characters you root for, and characters that make you want to scream at them.

this was beautiful, the last third had me gripping my kindle, unable to put it down. i loved the twists, the rage, the heartbreak, all of it. i can’t wait to see the hype this book will get when it’s released

the unchecked power was amazing, the hierarchy of these kingdoms symbolic to so much more

Thank you to Bindery Books and Left Unread for the digital ARC of Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho.

Some books entertain. Some inform. But once in a long while, a book comes along that reconstructs you from the inside out. It does not just invite you into its world, it drags you into its marrow and demands that you look, truly look, at what it means to hope in the face of annihilation. What it means to be complicit, to survive, to love, to lose, and to keep breathing anyway.

Cry, Voidbringer is that book.

This debut novel is nothing short of breathtaking. It is literary alchemy. It is ferocious and tender, intimate and epic, unflinching and achingly human. It is a fantasy novel, yes, but calling it that alone feels reductive. It is also political. It is deeply emotional. It is mythic. It is real in the ways that matter most.

Elaine Ho explores the rot of colonialism, not as an abstract idea, but as something embedded into the daily lives, choices, and compromises of people trying to survive inside systems designed to crush them. The story asks a brutal question: what happens when those who have been broken by empire become its enforcers? There are no tidy answers here. Instead, we are given flawed, exhausted people making impossible decisions that are just as understandable as they are devastating.

Hammer is a marvel of character work. She is hardened by trauma and dulled by routine. She is someone who has long given up on hope. Watching the smallest ember of her compassion reignite as she protects Viridian, who is both a child and a symbol, fragile and frighteningly powerful, is one of the most emotionally nuanced arcs I have read in years. And Viridian herself? She is a child shaped by violence and hunger, who refuses to let the world define her completely. She tries to hold onto her softness even as the world punishes her for it. Her chapters cracked me wide open.

And then there is Naias. She is a former faceless who now holds the illusion of power in a structure still built to break people like her. Her chapters are quiet and surgical. Her arc is a meditation on survival under empire. It shows how empire shapes you, how it hardens you, how it convinces you that you have overcome it even as it continues to consume you. The way she moves through the world is a masterclass in character complexity.

The structure of this book is as bold as its themes. The narrative voice shifts fluidly throughout the story and it is done with clear intention, each change drawing the reader deeper into a specific emotional space. These shifts create a kaleidoscopic effect that makes the story feel more alive, more intimate, more human. You don’t just read this story. You experience it. It breathes on your neck. It whispers in your ear. The second-person passages especially feel like being seen in your most vulnerable state.

Let’s talk about the worldbuilding. There is no info dump, no front-loading of lore. You are dropped into a world that is brutal and beautiful, and it demands your attention. Slowly, through character choices and moments of survival, the picture becomes clear. The world feels fully realized without ever feeling overwritten.

This book is heavy. It is brutal. There are gory moments. But the violence that lingers most is the emotional kind. Still, there is light here. There is connection. There is tenderness in the cracks. And there is an insistence, quiet and unwavering, that healing is not only possible, but worth reaching for even if it hurts.

By the end, I was not the same person. I had cried, whispered no to myself, gasped aloud, and clutched my chest through scenes that shattered me. And I was grateful for every moment. This book is a reckoning. It is a song for the lost and the wounded. For the ones who are still fighting. For the ones who need to believe they are worth saving.

This is not just a five-star book. This is a masterpiece. It is the kind of debut that will be taught and talked about for years to come. It sits comfortably on the same shelf as the works of Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin. Elaine Ho has written something extraordinary, and I count myself incredibly lucky to have read it early.

Elaine Ho, thank you.

This was such a beautiful and complex story. Each character in the book, whether main, secondary, or otherwise had layers.

I loved the world building in Cry, Voidbringer. From the description of the sceneries to the lore of the Gods and practices, I felt fully immersed while reading. There were some times where the book became difficult, but not in a negative way. There were deep themes of grief, abuse, trauma, and loneliness that made it tough to not get caught up in the emotions.

This story also made you question right and wrong at times. Was this character right in their actions? Should this person be saved? The complexity and questions of morality at times were real strengths in this book.

This was a beautifully written novel that tackles themes of tyranny, oppression, broken systems, found family, and so much more. I think it is a book that is very much needed in this current political climate. It was heartbreaking to read, but I am glad that I was allowed to read it. The characters were not even a little bit perfect and it made you feel for them even more. The ending felt very realistic, it wasn't summed up nicely just like stuff isn't in the real world. Amazing read!

This book was such a trip—in the best way. Cry, Voidbringer is eerie and emotional, kind of like if cosmic horror had a nervous breakdown and wrote poetry about it. Elaine Ho's writing is gorgeous and unsettling, and she somehow makes the end of the world feel incredibly personal.

The vibes? Immaculate. There's this slow, creeping dread that builds the whole time, but it's also deeply introspective—more about loss, memory, and identity than just straight-up horror. That said, parts of it did feel a little vague or abstract, and I had to reread a few sections to really get what was happening.

Still, it stuck with me. If you're into beautifully written weird fiction that leans more sad than scary, this one’s for you.

Bindery is absolutely killing it with all their books and this is no exception! I love the premise of the story and the execution didn't fail. I was so invested right from the start and it kept my interest, making it hard to put the book down.