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coffee_nd_pages's reviews
641 reviews
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
The Maid and the Crocodile: A Novel in the World of Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"Why not shape the world you live in instead of just existing inside it?"
This was such an adventurous read, and also one that's going to stick with me for a lot longer! I've read the Raybearer dualogy when it was released and it's one of my all time favourites, so I was extremely excited for this standalone set in the same world. And I can assure you that Jordan Ifueko does it again!
Read if you like -
Young Adult fantasy
Found family
Cursed god x curse breaker
Magical villa
Cute animal companion
Slowburn
Sapphic relationship
Disability rep
Revolution and power dynamics
"The Maid and the Crocodile", while being marketed as a romantasy is definitely more than that. We follow Small Sade, who starts her job as a maid in one of the inns in the city, and the book focuses on her journey of self discovery and growth. Because of an unfortunate incident in her previous workplace, Sade has an injured leg and has to rely on a cane for walking. I liked how assertive and strong she was in her opinions, and also the way at which she questioned the rules of the society!!
On the other hand, we follow Crocodile who's cursed to turn into a beast and Sade might be the only one who can cure his curse. From the moment we are introduced to him, it's so obvious that he's not the "murderous beast" everyone portrays him to be! He's intelligent, caring and highly observant! He helps Sade in every step of the way and also makes her see the value in herself, and I adored that about him.
The book heavily focuses on the aspects of revolution and the need for a world where everyone has equal rights and freedom to do what they want. The idea that people should not be bound by where they're born, and should be allowed to follow their passion and should not be looked down on even if it's something so menial is highlighted in the novel. There's a lot of trigger warnings too, so I'd advise looking them up before starting it.
Overall, this was such a well-rounded YA fantasy that I'd highly recommend it for people looking for more than romance in their fantasy books! Also it's perfect for readers who love "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Half A Soul."
Huge thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was such an adventurous read, and also one that's going to stick with me for a lot longer! I've read the Raybearer dualogy when it was released and it's one of my all time favourites, so I was extremely excited for this standalone set in the same world. And I can assure you that Jordan Ifueko does it again!
Read if you like -
Young Adult fantasy
Found family
Cursed god x curse breaker
Magical villa
Cute animal companion
Slowburn
Sapphic relationship
Disability rep
Revolution and power dynamics
"The Maid and the Crocodile", while being marketed as a romantasy is definitely more than that. We follow Small Sade, who starts her job as a maid in one of the inns in the city, and the book focuses on her journey of self discovery and growth. Because of an unfortunate incident in her previous workplace, Sade has an injured leg and has to rely on a cane for walking. I liked how assertive and strong she was in her opinions, and also the way at which she questioned the rules of the society!!
On the other hand, we follow Crocodile who's cursed to turn into a beast and Sade might be the only one who can cure his curse. From the moment we are introduced to him, it's so obvious that he's not the "murderous beast" everyone portrays him to be! He's intelligent, caring and highly observant! He helps Sade in every step of the way and also makes her see the value in herself, and I adored that about him.
The book heavily focuses on the aspects of revolution and the need for a world where everyone has equal rights and freedom to do what they want. The idea that people should not be bound by where they're born, and should be allowed to follow their passion and should not be looked down on even if it's something so menial is highlighted in the novel. There's a lot of trigger warnings too, so I'd advise looking them up before starting it.
Overall, this was such a well-rounded YA fantasy that I'd highly recommend it for people looking for more than romance in their fantasy books! Also it's perfect for readers who love "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Half A Soul."
Huge thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for sending me the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Angry junglee bosses by Gaurav Rao
challenging
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thanks to the author for sending the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
"Corporate betrayals of corporate slaves by their corporate masters!"
What a ride this was! As someone who loved the allegory in Animal Farm by George Orwell, I ATE this up!!! This reads like the modern day Animal Farm and also a book that every one of us can relate to!
Basic Premise - Covid has wiped all humans off the face of Earth, and it is now the Age of Animals! The animals have found ways to segregate and allocate works to one another in order to run a civilized society, and we follow Fox who's joining his new company - We Feed Ya!
Thoughts - First of all, HATS OFF to the creativity of the author!!! He has changed every minute details in the plot to fit according to the needs of the animals, and it was a delight to read about them. The underwater suit idea was genius🤯 Also the writing's so sassy and witty, and I had so much fun with all the changed names of the real people who exist/existed in our world (to mention a few - Shake-Spearfish, Aardvark Conan Doyle, Stephen King Cobra🤣🤣)
The story showcases how animals (aka people in our world) are exploited under the name of corporate jobs! They're overworked, harassed and betrayed, and are asked to go on with it for years if they want a promotion in the future. This is not the case everywhere!!!! If one is set with the right teammates and superior, they're set for a good time in the office, but not everyone gets that privilege. And the author has handled this delicate topic in a light and satirical way, thereby throwing light on the office politics and indifferent treatment that people have to endure in a workplace.
Bison was definitely one of my fav characters!!! And I also liked how Fox decided to have peace and walked away from the place that doesn't appreciate his talents, that too with a BANG!!! (He did what was right by speaking everything out with Liger)
And the title is freaking perfect for the book - corporate workplace is nothing short of a jungle where you always have to be wary of your superiors cuz if you do even the slightest thing that irritates them or makes them feel like the fool, they're gonna come for your heads!!
"Corporate betrayals of corporate slaves by their corporate masters!"
What a ride this was! As someone who loved the allegory in Animal Farm by George Orwell, I ATE this up!!! This reads like the modern day Animal Farm and also a book that every one of us can relate to!
Basic Premise - Covid has wiped all humans off the face of Earth, and it is now the Age of Animals! The animals have found ways to segregate and allocate works to one another in order to run a civilized society, and we follow Fox who's joining his new company - We Feed Ya!
Thoughts - First of all, HATS OFF to the creativity of the author!!! He has changed every minute details in the plot to fit according to the needs of the animals, and it was a delight to read about them. The underwater suit idea was genius🤯 Also the writing's so sassy and witty, and I had so much fun with all the changed names of the real people who exist/existed in our world (to mention a few - Shake-Spearfish, Aardvark Conan Doyle, Stephen King Cobra🤣🤣)
The story showcases how animals (aka people in our world) are exploited under the name of corporate jobs! They're overworked, harassed and betrayed, and are asked to go on with it for years if they want a promotion in the future. This is not the case everywhere!!!! If one is set with the right teammates and superior, they're set for a good time in the office, but not everyone gets that privilege. And the author has handled this delicate topic in a light and satirical way, thereby throwing light on the office politics and indifferent treatment that people have to endure in a workplace.
Bison was definitely one of my fav characters!!! And I also liked how Fox decided to have peace and walked away from the place that doesn't appreciate his talents, that too with a BANG!!! (He did what was right by speaking everything out with Liger)
And the title is freaking perfect for the book - corporate workplace is nothing short of a jungle where you always have to be wary of your superiors cuz if you do even the slightest thing that irritates them or makes them feel like the fool, they're gonna come for your heads!!
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Snowglobe by Soyoung Park
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Until the Last Page by Chantal Gadoury
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Such a cute and whimsical read!!! And Jo and Aneurin are officially one of my fav OTPs of all time💞
We follow our FMC Josephine who's back at her parents' house cuz of her cancelled engagement. That makes her lose all hope in love, and she starts to question her worth and sinks into a rabbit hole of introspecting where she went wrong. And when she crosses paths with an old book of fairytales, she decides to read it for comfort but little did she know that she's going to have the adventure of her life!!! Jo gets sucked into the world of fairytales and encounters the sassy frog prince with whom she strikes a deal - to help him find his true love, in return for helping her get back home.
More than being a love story, this book was about finding yourself back again - it's Jo's journey of self discovery and healing!! Along the way, she learns to appreciate her good qualities, overcomes her heartbreak and convinces herself that she's worthy of love and a happily ever after. She finds both in the unexpected of places - in a fairytale.
We see most of Prince Aneurin in his amphibian form because of his curse, and he comes across as an entitled and annoying arse at first. He constantly throws jabs at Jo, and I was living for their banter!!! He's also so dramatic even for the smallest things lol
- "I shall follow Josephine. And if it is to cliffs, where there is a chance I might meet my peril, then so be it."ðŸ¤
Aneurin changes a lot over the course of the journey - he goes from being an obnoxious prick to a well behaved and caring prince who understands Jo pretty well.
"I wasn't of his world, and he was only a fictional character in mine." - Their love story was swoon-worthy and adorable! It was such a SLOWBURN and I was here for it!!! And wdym that's the ending?!!!ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ (I want more of em already)
- "Will you promise to stay with me this time?"
"Until the last page."🥺💞
The writing was so evocative with vivid descriptions of the surroundings, lush world and intriguing characters. Even though we're familiar with the fairytales we come across here, the author throws her own spin on it and I appreciated that! I loved the character of Arch a lot, we got very little of him but Jo found a great friend in him and I love that for her!!
Overall, this was a delightful read and I'd recommend it for any fairytale lover like me!! And I'm so ready to read anything the author writes next!
We follow our FMC Josephine who's back at her parents' house cuz of her cancelled engagement. That makes her lose all hope in love, and she starts to question her worth and sinks into a rabbit hole of introspecting where she went wrong. And when she crosses paths with an old book of fairytales, she decides to read it for comfort but little did she know that she's going to have the adventure of her life!!! Jo gets sucked into the world of fairytales and encounters the sassy frog prince with whom she strikes a deal - to help him find his true love, in return for helping her get back home.
More than being a love story, this book was about finding yourself back again - it's Jo's journey of self discovery and healing!! Along the way, she learns to appreciate her good qualities, overcomes her heartbreak and convinces herself that she's worthy of love and a happily ever after. She finds both in the unexpected of places - in a fairytale.
We see most of Prince Aneurin in his amphibian form because of his curse, and he comes across as an entitled and annoying arse at first. He constantly throws jabs at Jo, and I was living for their banter!!! He's also so dramatic even for the smallest things lol
- "I shall follow Josephine. And if it is to cliffs, where there is a chance I might meet my peril, then so be it."ðŸ¤
Aneurin changes a lot over the course of the journey - he goes from being an obnoxious prick to a well behaved and caring prince who understands Jo pretty well.
"I wasn't of his world, and he was only a fictional character in mine." - Their love story was swoon-worthy and adorable! It was such a SLOWBURN and I was here for it!!! And wdym that's the ending?!!!ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ (I want more of em already)
- "Will you promise to stay with me this time?"
"Until the last page."🥺💞
The writing was so evocative with vivid descriptions of the surroundings, lush world and intriguing characters. Even though we're familiar with the fairytales we come across here, the author throws her own spin on it and I appreciated that! I loved the character of Arch a lot, we got very little of him but Jo found a great friend in him and I love that for her!!
Overall, this was a delightful read and I'd recommend it for any fairytale lover like me!! And I'm so ready to read anything the author writes next!