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flowerpaladin's reviews
19 reviews
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
dark
funny
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I will say this is without question a five star book. My own rating is purely personal. The book is exceptionally well-written and it was honestly a pleasure to bask in Heather Fawcett's prose.
Okay, so why three stars? The main reason is I simply didn't like the two main characters.
Emily is introverted and socially inept; this is honestly very charming, and I thought it was sweet how often she bungled her interactions with the villagers. What I found not so sweet was how she seemed to display a complete lack of empathy for other people, whether human or fae.
She admits to herself that the only reason she is attempting to save two innocent villagers is because it will advance her scholarly work. She alsotortures a small faerie child —twice. She initially treats all fae as specimens for her research; she doesn't approach them as if they are actual people with a culture of their own. It gave me weird, uncomfortable, colonialist vibes.
Yes, eventually, she does mellow out. She is moved by the villagers' kindness to her. She forms a slight bond withPoe . But even towards the very end of the book I still couldn't tell if she saw him as a person or a subject to be studied.
Wendall is twenty times worse. Yes, of course, Wendall isa faerie . But his characterization gave me whiplash. Sometimes it seemed like he only acted kindly towards others to please Emily, while at other times he did seem to genuinely care. He commits an act of violence that was exceptionally disturbing. As a love interest, he verges a little on the creepy and definitely callous side. The entire time he's allegedly in love with Emily, he's sleeping with countless other women. And at one point he tailors Emily's cloak without her knowledge or consent so that it will, essentially, look sexier on her ! Ugh. Creep!
It goes without saying then that I didn't buy the romance between them. Even if Wendall were less of a douche, though, I just didn't see Emily returning his feelings. Towards the last fifty pages or so she blushed a little when their hands would touch. But I never saw evidence that she genuinely loved him.
That said, there were things I loved about the book. The pacing, for instance. I loved how character-focused the story is, how we sort of hop from one little situation to the other. I never felt anxious or upset about what was happening, plot-wise. I never had to put the book down because of something disturbing. I also enjoyed the setting. The descriptions were beautiful and dreamy and reminded me of another wintery book, Spinning Silver. I also liked the spooky parts of the book. The fae were pretty brilliantly realized, disturbing, though never in a way that, again, made me want to put the book down.
I won't be continuing the series, but I'll definitely look out for books starring OTHER characters by this author!
Okay, so why three stars? The main reason is I simply didn't like the two main characters.
Emily is introverted and socially inept; this is honestly very charming, and I thought it was sweet how often she bungled her interactions with the villagers. What I found not so sweet was how she seemed to display a complete lack of empathy for other people, whether human or fae.
She admits to herself that the only reason she is attempting to save two innocent villagers is because it will advance her scholarly work. She also
Yes, eventually, she does mellow out. She is moved by the villagers' kindness to her. She forms a slight bond with
Wendall is twenty times worse. Yes, of course, Wendall is
It goes without saying then that I didn't buy the romance between them. Even if Wendall were less of a douche, though, I just didn't see Emily returning his feelings. Towards the last fifty pages or so she blushed a little when their hands would touch. But I never saw evidence that she genuinely loved him.
That said, there were things I loved about the book. The pacing, for instance. I loved how character-focused the story is, how we sort of hop from one little situation to the other. I never felt anxious or upset about what was happening, plot-wise. I never had to put the book down because of something disturbing. I also enjoyed the setting. The descriptions were beautiful and dreamy and reminded me of another wintery book, Spinning Silver. I also liked the spooky parts of the book. The fae were pretty brilliantly realized, disturbing, though never in a way that, again, made me want to put the book down.
I won't be continuing the series, but I'll definitely look out for books starring OTHER characters by this author!
The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This would've been a 4+ star book were it not for the ending.
Not only did I guess who the killer was, but I guessed that it would ruin the romance. Was I right?Yes. And I've never felt more betrayed, frustrated, and depressed.
The above is the main reason for my low rating. As for the other aspects of the book... the world-building is really cool. The jaan are like evil djinn or spirits; they're pretty scary and really well-written. The city of Ghadid is set high above the endless sand dunes, and people pay for water access with coins called "baat"s. Characters wear face-coverings, and it really leads to a special moment when the romance is kindled, but it also lends itself to some very handy mistaken identity.
Amistan is very loveable. I'm honestly disappointed with the evolution of his character though. I also think I would've rooted for him a lot more if he hadn't been an assassin, if he was more of an outsider looking in. And I really hate how hebought into the very institution he was so rightfully distrustful of at the beginning of the book. It was just a very, very weird character arc.
Oh well. It's a real bummer when finishing a book leaves you this depressed. I'm going to try like hell to find another Achillean second world fantasy with ace rep that actually ends in HEA, but I have a feeling I'm not going to find anything. Such is the state of publishing.
Not only did I guess who the killer was, but I guessed that it would ruin the romance. Was I right?
The above is the main reason for my low rating. As for the other aspects of the book... the world-building is really cool. The jaan are like evil djinn or spirits; they're pretty scary and really well-written. The city of Ghadid is set high above the endless sand dunes, and people pay for water access with coins called "baat"s. Characters wear face-coverings, and it really leads to a special moment when the romance is kindled, but it also lends itself to some very handy mistaken identity.
Amistan is very loveable. I'm honestly disappointed with the evolution of his character though. I also think I would've rooted for him a lot more if he hadn't been an assassin, if he was more of an outsider looking in. And I really hate how he
Oh well. It's a real bummer when finishing a book leaves you this depressed. I'm going to try like hell to find another Achillean second world fantasy with ace rep that actually ends in HEA, but I have a feeling I'm not going to find anything. Such is the state of publishing.
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really enjoyed this book from about the 10% mark to the 40% mark. The first few chapters (until the MC and LI meet) were difficult to push through, and everything from about the middle towards the end I really did not enjoy. The last 50 or so pages, I forced myself to finish and even skimmed in places.
But the reason I give this a 3.0 and noting lower is because I think most of my feelings about this book are based on personal preference, not on how good or bad the book is. I think it's a pretty good book; it's just very much, most definitely, not for me.
The biggest hurdle for me was the pacing. Something absolutely AWFUL happens to the characters every 4-5 chapters, sometimes sooner. I found this extremely difficult to deal with. As soon as I began to relax and enjoy the romance and the political fantasy aspect, someone would literally be murdered. It was horrifying. I found myself constantly putting the book down so I could recover.
The second thing I struggled with was the romance. This is really disappointing because I initially KEPT reading because of how sweet and adorable the romance was. But once the two characters started staring at one another with bedroom eyes and thinking about sex constantly, I lost all interest. A few days after their first time together (and wow, that sex scene... it was so incredibly long, almost like an AO3 fic. I confess I skimmed the whole thing), they were madly in love. The entire relationship takes place in like two weeks. It was... well, "disappointing" is really the only way I know how to put it.
The third and final thing I'll complain about is the world building. There are SO many characters and titles that I literally couldn't recall who was who. I wish 50% of the characters had been cut. At one point they reveal who they think "the killer" is, and that revelation occurs at the end of the chapter (a typical cliffhanger for this book). I knew it was supposed to be a big deal, but... I genuinely had no idea who they were even talking about. I know Vel (pretty snarky MC), Cae (macho sweet LI), Markal (bestie), the two sisters, the dad, the grandma, the grand-non-gendered person (grandma's sibling), the guard captain guy, and some girl Markal was seeing but I don't know where she came from. Oh and Cae's ex whom everyone acted like was the god Apollo come to life. That sounds like a lot of characters, right? Now add about thirty more. Yikes!
Things I did like: initially, the romance. Like, I was in LOVE! I would read more fantasy romances from this author, but I will check reviews first to make sure the pacing is to my taste.
I did like the world the characters inhabited. It was just confusing.
I love queernorm fantasy worlds; I'm queer myself. But sometimes it felt like characters existed just to be an example of this or that member of the queer community. It did not feel organic. But I loved the idea and I want more of this. Again, would read more from this author for that reason.
I guess I'm mostly feeling like... I'm glad I finally read this one (was on my TBR list for a long time) but also grateful I finished it so I can move on to something else.
But the reason I give this a 3.0 and noting lower is because I think most of my feelings about this book are based on personal preference, not on how good or bad the book is. I think it's a pretty good book; it's just very much, most definitely, not for me.
The biggest hurdle for me was the pacing. Something absolutely AWFUL happens to the characters every 4-5 chapters, sometimes sooner. I found this extremely difficult to deal with. As soon as I began to relax and enjoy the romance and the political fantasy aspect, someone would literally be murdered. It was horrifying. I found myself constantly putting the book down so I could recover.
The second thing I struggled with was the romance. This is really disappointing because I initially KEPT reading because of how sweet and adorable the romance was. But once the two characters started staring at one another with bedroom eyes and thinking about sex constantly, I lost all interest. A few days after their first time together (and wow, that sex scene... it was so incredibly long, almost like an AO3 fic. I confess I skimmed the whole thing), they were madly in love. The entire relationship takes place in like two weeks. It was... well, "disappointing" is really the only way I know how to put it.
The third and final thing I'll complain about is the world building. There are SO many characters and titles that I literally couldn't recall who was who. I wish 50% of the characters had been cut. At one point they reveal who they think "the killer" is, and that revelation occurs at the end of the chapter (a typical cliffhanger for this book). I knew it was supposed to be a big deal, but... I genuinely had no idea who they were even talking about. I know Vel (pretty snarky MC), Cae (macho sweet LI), Markal (bestie), the two sisters, the dad, the grandma, the grand-non-gendered person (grandma's sibling), the guard captain guy, and some girl Markal was seeing but I don't know where she came from. Oh and Cae's ex whom everyone acted like was the god Apollo come to life. That sounds like a lot of characters, right? Now add about thirty more. Yikes!
Things I did like: initially, the romance. Like, I was in LOVE! I would read more fantasy romances from this author, but I will check reviews first to make sure the pacing is to my taste.
I did like the world the characters inhabited. It was just confusing.
I love queernorm fantasy worlds; I'm queer myself. But sometimes it felt like characters existed just to be an example of this or that member of the queer community. It did not feel organic. But I loved the idea and I want more of this. Again, would read more from this author for that reason.
I guess I'm mostly feeling like... I'm glad I finally read this one (was on my TBR list for a long time) but also grateful I finished it so I can move on to something else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Violence, and Murder
Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It genuinely hurts to give a book in the Graceling series such a low score. But I found myself thinking as I read... "Well, I guess I could maybe give it a 4.5. That's not bad." Then that dropped to a 4. Then the last 50 pages or so just made it impossible for me to even go that high.
Sigh. Where do I start? Well, for one thing, this book should've probably been 200 pages shorter. Characters wasted paragraphs mulling their feelings over. And can we talk about a certain MAJOR character spending upwards of THREE HUNDRED PAGES locked in a room?? I'm honestly shocked that any editor let that go. If this were not the fourth book in a bestselling series, there is 0% chance it would have been published. Not in this state.
Next, the characters. Okay, let's start with Lovisa. Lovisa very clearly is suffering from severe C-PTSD. That should have made me very sympathetic towards her, and it did. But Lovisa is also an asshole. She's one of the most unlikable characters I've ever come across in a book. She's an absolute jerk to every single person who shows her even a modicum of kindness. I don't know why she's a POV character. I wonder if Cashore was told that Bitterblue and Giddon were too old to be the only POV characters in a YA book and so along came Lovisa. But why make her so nasty? And there's hardly any growth. She's still snapping at people even once we pass page 500. And weirdly enough the other characters don't seem to mind. She snaps at Nev, and Nev grins. That's a relationship I never fully understood, by the way, but more on that later.
Giddon. Oh my god, Giddon. I actually started rolling my eyes when he'd start crying yet again. Oh, I'm all for men crying in books. Love to see it. Men having actual emotions? Give me more. But this is just over the top. He seems to have no personality beyond "I miss Bitterblue" and "I'm not worthy of Bitterblue." He's also big and strong. And he has a beard. Yep. That's about it.
Bitterblue. The title character of the last book. I actually have nothing to say about her because she, too, has no personality other than that she has gray eyes, is small, and gets high on tea. Yes, I realize none of those have anything to do with an actual personality. You see my point?
Hava is a mini-Lovisa. Snappy and unlikable. Nev is a blank slate. Mari is the boy version of Nev. (Literally. Lovisa can't choose between them.) Ferla had the vestiges of a personality, but she wasn't a POV character.
THE FOX. ADVENTURE FOX. The true hero of this tale (really!). Okay, I would literally read an entire book from his POV. I loved him so much. I also liked the Keeper and the silbercows.
Anyway, on to the next point of contention: The romance(s).
Look, I love romance. I'm a hardcore Fire x Brigan fan. Like they are literally my definition of a great YA fantasy romance. Bitterblue and Giddon? (And you might say that's a spoiler but it's obvious from the first five chapters that that's the endgame couple.) I started skimming their scenes together. They are that nauseating together. Also? Their reunion scene is just terrible. It felt like we had been leading up to it for 400 pages, and then it happens all in one paragraph? And we're just TOLD it happens? No dialogue? Did the author just get bored or not know how to write the scene? I don't believe that. Cashore is an incredible writer. So I don't understand what happened here AT ALL. On top of the awful pining between these two, we had to deal with references to Bitterblue's constant stream of lovers. Yay. Yeah, I love to see a female character who has experience, for sure. But the book seemed to want to beat us over the head with it and make it seem like Bitterblue has 50 boyfriends at once. And all the while Giddon just sits in a corner and sobs about it like a sad puppy.
Back to Lovisa. Okay, seriously: what the hell was going on here?? Is Lovisa asexual? Aromantic? A lesbian? Polyamorous? Does she have feelings for Mari? Is she sexually into him? Why did absolutely nothing ever come of this back and forth the book was teasing us with between her and Nev? After Bitterblue x Saf, and now these two romances...? I'm starting to think Fire x Brigan was a fluke. (And, to be honest, I never really cared for Katsa x Po.) I'm also starting to get annoyed with how Cashore tosses m/m couples to the sidelines. Saf got a boyfriend and suddenly he's no longer in the story? Seriously, WTF.
Okay, I think I'm done. Gosh, I really needed to rant. This book actually makes me hesitant to continue the series, but I bought Seasparrow just a few days ago, so I might as well press forward. At least that one's shorter.
Romance
Sigh. Where do I start? Well, for one thing, this book should've probably been 200 pages shorter. Characters wasted paragraphs mulling their feelings over. And can we talk about a certain MAJOR character spending upwards of THREE HUNDRED PAGES locked in a room?? I'm honestly shocked that any editor let that go. If this were not the fourth book in a bestselling series, there is 0% chance it would have been published. Not in this state.
Next, the characters. Okay, let's start with Lovisa. Lovisa very clearly is suffering from severe C-PTSD. That should have made me very sympathetic towards her, and it did. But Lovisa is also an asshole. She's one of the most unlikable characters I've ever come across in a book. She's an absolute jerk to every single person who shows her even a modicum of kindness. I don't know why she's a POV character. I wonder if Cashore was told that Bitterblue and Giddon were too old to be the only POV characters in a YA book and so along came Lovisa. But why make her so nasty? And there's hardly any growth. She's still snapping at people even once we pass page 500. And weirdly enough the other characters don't seem to mind. She snaps at Nev, and Nev grins. That's a relationship I never fully understood, by the way, but more on that later.
Giddon. Oh my god, Giddon. I actually started rolling my eyes when he'd start crying yet again. Oh, I'm all for men crying in books. Love to see it. Men having actual emotions? Give me more. But this is just over the top. He seems to have no personality beyond "I miss Bitterblue" and "I'm not worthy of Bitterblue." He's also big and strong. And he has a beard. Yep. That's about it.
Bitterblue. The title character of the last book. I actually have nothing to say about her because she, too, has no personality other than that she has gray eyes, is small, and gets high on tea. Yes, I realize none of those have anything to do with an actual personality. You see my point?
Hava is a mini-Lovisa. Snappy and unlikable. Nev is a blank slate. Mari is the boy version of Nev. (Literally. Lovisa can't choose between them.) Ferla had the vestiges of a personality, but she wasn't a POV character.
THE FOX. ADVENTURE FOX. The true hero of this tale (really!). Okay, I would literally read an entire book from his POV. I loved him so much. I also liked the Keeper and the silbercows.
Anyway, on to the next point of contention: The romance(s).
Look, I love romance. I'm a hardcore Fire x Brigan fan. Like they are literally my definition of a great YA fantasy romance. Bitterblue and Giddon? (And you might say that's a spoiler but it's obvious from the first five chapters that that's the endgame couple.) I started skimming their scenes together. They are that nauseating together. Also? Their reunion scene is just terrible. It felt like we had been leading up to it for 400 pages, and then it happens all in one paragraph? And we're just TOLD it happens? No dialogue? Did the author just get bored or not know how to write the scene? I don't believe that. Cashore is an incredible writer. So I don't understand what happened here AT ALL. On top of the awful pining between these two, we had to deal with references to Bitterblue's constant stream of lovers. Yay. Yeah, I love to see a female character who has experience, for sure. But the book seemed to want to beat us over the head with it and make it seem like Bitterblue has 50 boyfriends at once. And all the while Giddon just sits in a corner and sobs about it like a sad puppy.
Back to Lovisa. Okay, seriously: what the hell was going on here?? Is Lovisa asexual? Aromantic? A lesbian? Polyamorous? Does she have feelings for Mari? Is she sexually into him? Why did absolutely nothing ever come of this back and forth the book was teasing us with between her and Nev? After Bitterblue x Saf, and now these two romances...? I'm starting to think Fire x Brigan was a fluke. (And, to be honest, I never really cared for Katsa x Po.) I'm also starting to get annoyed with how Cashore tosses m/m couples to the sidelines. Saf got a boyfriend and suddenly he's no longer in the story? Seriously, WTF.
Okay, I think I'm done. Gosh, I really needed to rant. This book actually makes me hesitant to continue the series, but I bought Seasparrow just a few days ago, so I might as well press forward. At least that one's shorter.
Romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This is a tough one to rate because, through no fault of its own, the book has been recommended to me numerous times as romantic fantasy. But, in fact, it has virtually no romance at all. So I come away from it feeling vaguely dissatisfied, even though it was exquisitely written.
The alternating points-of-view were something I never quite got used to, and I'm not sure they were really necessary. That said, I liked Wanda and Stepon's the most. I also liked Mirnatius (surprisingly - more on that in a bit). The writing is, again, exquisite. Novik truly is a gifted wordsmith!
As a fantasy book, I found it a bit confusing. I didn't always follow what was going on or why things were happening. For example, I don't know why Miryem develops the abilities that she develops. I don't really understand what happened to Mirnatius and his mother. I don't fully understand the motivations behind the Staryk king's actions. Still, the world was lush, and I cared about these people, though only the women at first.
The Staryk king is incredibly unlikable for about 98% of the book. He looks and acts the part of a vicious tyrant, only for us to be shocked to learn he's really just a decent dude all along. (You can perhaps tell I didn't buy this character "development" lol.) The same can be said somewhat for Mirnatius, but since we do get his POV, it was easier to buy that he wasn't really a bad person. However, the story didn't really make it clear who was really in control when he and Irina first met. In any case, the Staryk king wasn't being controlled by anyone. His horrible behavior was all on him.
Still... I enjoyed the book. A lot! I did get stuck around 3/4s of the way through, but that was only because I realized there was no real romance. (I guess we could call it poorly done romance because I have a feeling we're supposed to believe two of these characters love each other by the end of it, but there have been no signs that that's actually true.) I slipped back into reading fanfic for a bit, just to get that warm, romantic arc I was craving. But I found I missed Novik's storytelling, and so I returned and persevered. And here we are :)
Oh, I've seen it said that the book is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I... guess? There is one part of it that's sort of like that. But it's literally one chapter. I would throw in Hades and Persephone as a more likely retelling.
The alternating points-of-view were something I never quite got used to, and I'm not sure they were really necessary. That said, I liked Wanda and Stepon's the most. I also liked Mirnatius (surprisingly - more on that in a bit). The writing is, again, exquisite. Novik truly is a gifted wordsmith!
As a fantasy book, I found it a bit confusing. I didn't always follow what was going on or why things were happening. For example, I don't know why Miryem develops the abilities that she develops. I don't really understand what happened to Mirnatius and his mother. I don't fully understand the motivations behind the Staryk king's actions. Still, the world was lush, and I cared about these people, though only the women at first.
The Staryk king is incredibly unlikable for about 98% of the book. He looks and acts the part of a vicious tyrant, only for us to be shocked to learn he's really just a decent dude all along. (You can perhaps tell I didn't buy this character "development" lol.) The same can be said somewhat for Mirnatius, but since we do get his POV, it was easier to buy that he wasn't really a bad person. However, the story didn't really make it clear who was really in control when he and Irina first met. In any case, the Staryk king wasn't being controlled by anyone. His horrible behavior was all on him.
Still... I enjoyed the book. A lot! I did get stuck around 3/4s of the way through, but that was only because I realized there was no real romance. (I guess we could call it poorly done romance because I have a feeling we're supposed to believe two of these characters love each other by the end of it, but there have been no signs that that's actually true.) I slipped back into reading fanfic for a bit, just to get that warm, romantic arc I was craving. But I found I missed Novik's storytelling, and so I returned and persevered. And here we are :)
Oh, I've seen it said that the book is a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I... guess? There is one part of it that's sort of like that. But it's literally one chapter. I would throw in Hades and Persephone as a more likely retelling.
A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I enjoyed this book every much as the first one! I'm honestly disappointed it's over, and it's all tied up so neatly at the end that I fear there won't be a book 3. I don't want to let some of these characters go, especially Baccha and Isa. I have to say, this book's strength is its world-building, though of course the characters are fun to follow and root for, too. But the khaemir people are incredibly cool, and it's refreshing to see a book position humans as the colonizers. I did hope to learn more about the fae and the bloodkin, but alas. Book 3? Please?
A few nitpicks... the alternating POVs, with Eva still being in first person, were a little jarring, but in all honesty, I don't know how else it could have been done? If anything, I'd almost prefer to retroactively go back and see book 1 in alternating POVs just for consistency, and put Eva in third person as well. I think Eva's characterization suffered a little when compared with her sister, who has a much bigger role here. Isa is a conflicted, interesting, sympathetic character, which contrasts with Eva who is brash and young, and yes, we root for her, but she's a little too... perfect at times?
Another thing I would appreciate a bit more are the romances being better fleshed out. Eva and Aketo are cute but they mostly do lots of intense moments where they're about to kiss, and I'd maybe like to see them talk more? Isa and Aketo's brother (I forget his name) were fine, but it just happened so quickly... I find them interesting and would like to see how their time together plays out. Lastly, Falun and Baccha... I'm really, honestly, quite disappointed with how little time was paid to this relationship. Yes, it was cute the couple times Eva teased Falun about Baccha, but then we literally saw no indication that Baccha felt the same way. The ending was kind of a surprise, albeit a pleasant surprise.
STILL. 5.0 star book!!!!! Can't wait to read more from this author!
A few nitpicks... the alternating POVs, with Eva still being in first person, were a little jarring, but in all honesty, I don't know how else it could have been done? If anything, I'd almost prefer to retroactively go back and see book 1 in alternating POVs just for consistency, and put Eva in third person as well. I think Eva's characterization suffered a little when compared with her sister, who has a much bigger role here. Isa is a conflicted, interesting, sympathetic character, which contrasts with Eva who is brash and young, and yes, we root for her, but she's a little too... perfect at times?
Another thing I would appreciate a bit more are the romances being better fleshed out. Eva and Aketo are cute but they mostly do lots of intense moments where they're about to kiss, and I'd maybe like to see them talk more? Isa and Aketo's brother (I forget his name) were fine, but it just happened so quickly... I find them interesting and would like to see how their time together plays out. Lastly, Falun and Baccha... I'm really, honestly, quite disappointed with how little time was paid to this relationship. Yes, it was cute the couple times Eva teased Falun about Baccha, but then we literally saw no indication that Baccha felt the same way. The ending was kind of a surprise, albeit a pleasant surprise.
STILL. 5.0 star book!!!!! Can't wait to read more from this author!
Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I wanted to like this book so badly—Achillean romance in fantasy is rarer than gold. Unfortunately, it ended up falling short in many ways.
The character personalities (or lack thereof) are probably the worst offenders. There is very little consistency in their depiction; the main character will be described as "brooding," for instance, but then a paragraph later he's grinning and laughing. By the time I've come to the end of the story, I find I don't know these people at all. If I had to fill out a personality sheet for them, even a really basic one, I'd come up blank. It's hard to fall in love with characters who are so flat.
The world-building is equally thin, though this isn't usually an issue for me. If the characters are loveable I'll go anywhere with them, no matter how derivative. And boy is this derivative... let's be honest, this is the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Again, I'm kind of okay with that, but it has to be mentioned.
The last thing that really bothered me was how the author wrote women (or maybe how he didn't write them...). About 80% of the characters are male, the women are either brainless bimbos (seriously) or meddlesome hags. The love interest even repeatedly mocks an elderly female neighbor, and the main character thinks it's funny! Really turned me off from them both.
Something that bothered me about the book's marketing: this is a self-published book. However, Amazon lists the book as being published by "Aethervale Publishing." I bought the book thinking that was a legit publisher, but it turns out it's just a name the author made up to sell his books! That really irritated me.
NOW this wasn't a one star read! There are some definite positives here. I read through this quickly, and it made me feel peaceful as I read it. It's the definition of cozy fantasy. It contains, as I noted, an Achillean romance; however, be aware, romance lovers, that the romance itself is barely there. For the first 90% of the book these guys are just pals, and then out of nowhere someone caresses someone else's face. I would say romance is definitely not this author's forte!
So, if you're looking for a story to relax with, something that basically feels like D&D fanfic, and that actually features a m/m romance (gasp, they do exist!), then give this one a try.
The character personalities (or lack thereof) are probably the worst offenders. There is very little consistency in their depiction; the main character will be described as "brooding," for instance, but then a paragraph later he's grinning and laughing. By the time I've come to the end of the story, I find I don't know these people at all. If I had to fill out a personality sheet for them, even a really basic one, I'd come up blank. It's hard to fall in love with characters who are so flat.
The world-building is equally thin, though this isn't usually an issue for me. If the characters are loveable I'll go anywhere with them, no matter how derivative. And boy is this derivative... let's be honest, this is the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Again, I'm kind of okay with that, but it has to be mentioned.
The last thing that really bothered me was how the author wrote women (or maybe how he didn't write them...). About 80% of the characters are male, the women are either brainless bimbos (seriously) or meddlesome hags. The love interest even repeatedly mocks an elderly female neighbor, and the main character thinks it's funny! Really turned me off from them both.
Something that bothered me about the book's marketing: this is a self-published book. However, Amazon lists the book as being published by "Aethervale Publishing." I bought the book thinking that was a legit publisher, but it turns out it's just a name the author made up to sell his books! That really irritated me.
NOW this wasn't a one star read! There are some definite positives here. I read through this quickly, and it made me feel peaceful as I read it. It's the definition of cozy fantasy. It contains, as I noted, an Achillean romance; however, be aware, romance lovers, that the romance itself is barely there. For the first 90% of the book these guys are just pals, and then out of nowhere someone caresses someone else's face. I would say romance is definitely not this author's forte!
So, if you're looking for a story to relax with, something that basically feels like D&D fanfic, and that actually features a m/m romance (gasp, they do exist!), then give this one a try.
A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wow!! What an incredible ride!! I'm absolutely ACHING for book 2 at this point. I read through the last few pages at breakneck speed, and have to say, the ending was really satisfying! I'm really happy with the decision Eva made. The twist was interesting. I think it would've been nice if there was some foreshadowing, but I'm not too bothered about it. My favorite character is definitely Bacha, and I hope to see more of him and [spoiler] in the second book. Their romance kind of felt like a footnote. Eva and the person she ended up with make a good couple, and I'm eager to see them grow together. This book definitely ends on a cliffhanger, so I guess it's lucky for me the second one is already available!
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
I really wanted to finish this book, as I've been DNFing a lot lately. But I checked it out as an ebook from the library, and it's due tomorrow, and I just... don't have that burning urge to check it out again. That's a sign that it's time to move on and try something else. Sigh.
This book's biggest problems (for me) were 1. the story structure and 2. the gruesome content. The story is told from multiple points-of-view from different time periods, but all about the same character. On top of that, the world-building is extremely confusing. I had to pause and re-read entire pages sometimes, which isn't something I ever really have to do. And so far as I can tell, this POV-shifting is completely unnecessary. I would've enjoyed the story a lot more if it had just stuck with Khirin's POV.
As for the second issue, slavery is a topic that is a personal squick for me, and I usually try to avoid it. It was pretty prominent right at the beginning of this book, but since the book is queer, I tried to persevere, thinking maybe it wouldn't be a major plot point. But it is. It doesn't seem like it ever really moves away from this concept of characters being owned, abused, raped, and murdered by other characters. That is just too dark and too horrific for me to stomach.
It's my hope that we'll start to see more and more queer high fantasy stories that center hope and love instead of wading through dark topics like rape and murder and slavery. I'm not condemning books like that. I just really wish I could find the ones that were more like what I'm looking for... what I really need in my life right now.
This book's biggest problems (for me) were 1. the story structure and 2. the gruesome content. The story is told from multiple points-of-view from different time periods, but all about the same character. On top of that, the world-building is extremely confusing. I had to pause and re-read entire pages sometimes, which isn't something I ever really have to do. And so far as I can tell, this POV-shifting is completely unnecessary. I would've enjoyed the story a lot more if it had just stuck with Khirin's POV.
As for the second issue, slavery is a topic that is a personal squick for me, and I usually try to avoid it. It was pretty prominent right at the beginning of this book, but since the book is queer, I tried to persevere, thinking maybe it wouldn't be a major plot point. But it is. It doesn't seem like it ever really moves away from this concept of characters being owned, abused, raped, and murdered by other characters. That is just too dark and too horrific for me to stomach.
It's my hope that we'll start to see more and more queer high fantasy stories that center hope and love instead of wading through dark topics like rape and murder and slavery. I'm not condemning books like that. I just really wish I could find the ones that were more like what I'm looking for... what I really need in my life right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
I really wanted to like this book so badly. But I just couldn't connect with the main character at all. Her voice is so dry and dispassionate... I guess from the premise I was sort of hoping for a fantasy version of Amelia Peabody. I'll also add that her husband is about as bland as a sack of potatoes. There is zero romance in this book, which was disappointing for me. And the relationship with the husband was odd... it felt like Isabella was being painted as a pseudo-feminist, but her husband still babied her and didn't seem to respect her as an equal, and she was sort of okay with it? The last straw was when they butchered a dragon "for science," and she was totally okay with that, too. This book is definitely NOT for dragon lovers, I'll say that much! The dragons are animals and treated as such, and the main character is more interested in sketching their muscles and bones than understanding and appreciating them. It just felt a bit weird and off... like I said, hard to connect with her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Misogyny
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Miscarriage