fortunavhs's reviews
77 reviews

The Sanguine Sorceress by Camilla Andrew

dark inspiring sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

I was given a copy of The Sanguine Sorceress in exchange for an honest review. 

I signed up to read this novella being sold on the promise of feminine rage and a compelling female lead, and I can say with confidence that it delivered. The Sanguine Sorceress has the advantage of being able to appeal to both fans of When The Stars Alight (especially those, like myself, who were drawn in by the horror-fantasy elements) while standing on its own – I would say this novella would be just as readable to those who have not read anything else by Camilla Andrew. 

Andrew’s signature decadent prose continues here, and is especially well suited to its first-person narration, which was one of my stand-out aspects of the novella. Serafina is a very compelling protagonist in a suffocating patriarchy – there were certain supporting characters who made my skin literally crawl. This is certainly not a comfortable or easy read as a result, but allows the catharsis of the ending to hit that much harder. 

While it stands up by itself, I still got the sense that there is so much more to the world that the novella hasn’t scratched the surface of. The final act introduced a concept I definitely am wanting to learn more about, so hopefully future Essence of the Equinox works will build upon what has been revealed here. 

(Cross-posted from goodreads)

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany by Uwe Schütte

informative inspiring reflective

4.25

Going to have to agree to disagree that the Model is an “unexciting” song. But otherwise I did enjoy Schütte’s perspective a lot - he was right to sing the praises of Janelle Monae!

Ghosted by Jenn Ashworth

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Selected Poems by Carol Clark, Charles Baudelaire

dark sad

5.0

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

When The Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew

adventurous inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I feel like this book came to me at just the right time - it got me out of a reading slump and rekindled my love for fantasy, so recommend it to anyone in need of the same.
Above all my favourite aspect of the book were the horror-esque elements, which pay of perfectly at the ending.

The Sundial by Shirley Jackson

dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.75