YABookgate

[stupid frog]

Two-hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every 18-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.​

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It's a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.​

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Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.​

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220160382-soulmatch

The lone one star reviewer:

 

[Wodanaz]

"Dystomance."

art imitates life

 

[Windows 10 Upgrade]

I mean my favorite horror writer's probably a toss between Richard Matheson or Robert E. Howard at this point. Manly Wade Wellman's great too. But I don't see anyone aping their styles. It feels like a lot of stuff's just some variation of romantasy or IDPOL people trying to mimic something notable while missing the point.

There's definitely going to be a lot of that shit for another 2 years as the pipeline clears. I suspect IDPOL's still going to have an active faction, but it won't be as influential as before. Normal Person Summer may yet happen.

I won't lie, I kinda want to see horror-romance be a thing.

It could actually work with the right author!

There's been a level of sneaking it under the radar with "dark fantasy" but horror fantasy will be allowed to go nuts without having to fight accusals of being probelmatic.

T​

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Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.​

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220160382-soulmatch

The lone one star reviewer:
View attachment 7637987

S & S trying to make "Fetch" happen. According to this 2023 article there was a small dystopia bump following shows such as Squid Games, which would align with the acquisition of this book. It's certainly ripping off something Squid Gamey" and the publisher went nuts over it. The genre's not caught on... and to be fair it wasn't the games that made Squid Game compelling, but the horror of dealing with other people.