ephemeralzen's reviews
104 reviews

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

a little cringy dialogue but i read this so freaking fast man it was so good i ate it up

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

it’s just mid tbh. i wanted to be immersed but i fr just wasn’t bc of the unfunny commentary. better than the first book by a mile tho !1!1! 

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

the book was so mid tbh. the romance felt really forced and out of place because it seemed to just develop from nowhere; it seemed to be rather to fill a checkbox of a trope rather than to develop any meaningful connection between characters. 
the writing was also… not great. still don’t really get the whole magic system or worldbuilding but i fr might just be stupid. the whole thing about the obeah and stuff?? don’t get it LMFAO. it also did bring in a lot of anachronisms (existence of leggings and a few other things) that i felt was really forced or out of place for a fantasy book; yes i know ‘suspend your disbelief’ but my immersion </3
that being said i am invested now because i am 100% rooting for these characters now ajd will buy the next book when it drops

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and War

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Medical content, and Alcohol

This Winter by Alice Oseman

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A

2.75

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

i bawled my eyes out like a baby 

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lady macbeth served