Scan barcode
frootlupo's reviews
256 reviews
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
4.75
An emotional rollercoaster of epic proportions. If you’re the kind of person who reads more than one book at a time, I suggest a nice fun light book on the side. This book will probably rip your heart to shreds in the middle, but leave you with hope for the future by the end.
I picked up Sword of Kaigan due to what seemed like universal acclaim. This acclaim is very much deserved. It is brilliant and powerful and I will certainly find myself recommending it time and time again to people who I think need a good cry. A protagonist who is a mother (and frankly not a teenager) was a very fresh perspective, and I thought M.L. Wang did a fantastic job painting the mixed emotions that make up every human being. If I had a solitary gripe it would be that it spends a little more time lore-dropping in the middle of the book than I would have liked - but this is more than forgivable considering the gut-punches that occurred earlier on.
I feel like this book deserves a much much longer review, but honestly I've said all that needs to be said. The Sword of Kaigan is a great book. It is not a book for the faint of heart, but it definitely is a book that will make you feel things.
I picked up Sword of Kaigan due to what seemed like universal acclaim. This acclaim is very much deserved. It is brilliant and powerful and I will certainly find myself recommending it time and time again to people who I think need a good cry. A protagonist who is a mother (and frankly not a teenager) was a very fresh perspective, and I thought M.L. Wang did a fantastic job painting the mixed emotions that make up every human being. If I had a solitary gripe it would be that it spends a little more time lore-dropping in the middle of the book than I would have liked - but this is more than forgivable considering the gut-punches that occurred earlier on.
I feel like this book deserves a much much longer review, but honestly I've said all that needs to be said. The Sword of Kaigan is a great book. It is not a book for the faint of heart, but it definitely is a book that will make you feel things.
He Who Fights With Monsters, Book 11 by Shirtaloon, Travis Deverell
There was some decent time we got to develop some of our heroes that we haven’t learned as much about, which was nice. There was also a lot of repeating information 3 times to make sure that I REALLY understood the weird magic at play, which was less nice.
Overall the story got to good places and helped set up the next arc, but not a whole lot more than that.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I mean if you’re on book 11 and you’re not already a fan of the series, I’m a little confused tbh. This was a solid addition to the series, but doesn’t stand out much at all on its own.
The author explains at the beginning of the book in an author’s note that this book is very much meant as a transition book that bridges between arcs. So I can’t begrudge book 11 for doing what it aims to accomplish, but it doesn’t make it super satisfying in of itself. It did have a main narrative, but even that didn’t feel very distinguished compared to some of the other larger narrative beats.
The author explains at the beginning of the book in an author’s note that this book is very much meant as a transition book that bridges between arcs. So I can’t begrudge book 11 for doing what it aims to accomplish, but it doesn’t make it super satisfying in of itself. It did have a main narrative, but even that didn’t feel very distinguished compared to some of the other larger narrative beats.
There was some decent time we got to develop some of our heroes that we haven’t learned as much about, which was nice. There was also a lot of repeating information 3 times to make sure that I REALLY understood the weird magic at play, which was less nice.
Overall the story got to good places and helped set up the next arc, but not a whole lot more than that.
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-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
4.25
I enjoyed Song of Silver, Flame like Night more and more as the book went on.
For the first half of the book I thought we were going to follow a pretty paint-by-numbers fantasy tale with some nice east-asian flavouring in the world building and magic system. Our main character were angsty teenagers clearly destined to save the world through barely concealed plot-twists, all while falling hopelessly and tumultuously in love. Not a bad choice, but nothing that really stands out from any other YA(ish) novel.
However, as the story progressed, the narrative took on a much more nuanced perspective than I was expecting. Villains were redeemed, heroes turned grey, the conflict was not as simple as defeating the evil monsters. There was still some clear villains, but the story felt much more mature as it continued. The naivety of the characters was an actual flaw, and the power of love and friendship isn’t always enough.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job with a slight tone shift based on the POV character - this was a lovely little addition that made it much more pleasurable to listen to.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with Song of Silver, Flame like Night, and I’m certainly going to tune in for the sequel.
For the first half of the book I thought we were going to follow a pretty paint-by-numbers fantasy tale with some nice east-asian flavouring in the world building and magic system. Our main character were angsty teenagers clearly destined to save the world through barely concealed plot-twists, all while falling hopelessly and tumultuously in love. Not a bad choice, but nothing that really stands out from any other YA(ish) novel.
However, as the story progressed, the narrative took on a much more nuanced perspective than I was expecting. Villains were redeemed, heroes turned grey, the conflict was not as simple as defeating the evil monsters. There was still some clear villains, but the story felt much more mature as it continued. The naivety of the characters was an actual flaw, and the power of love and friendship isn’t always enough.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job with a slight tone shift based on the POV character - this was a lovely little addition that made it much more pleasurable to listen to.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with Song of Silver, Flame like Night, and I’m certainly going to tune in for the sequel.
The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
adventurous
hopeful
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
4.25
The Girl and the Stars is a fun, tight little narrative with the bones to provide enough for a BIG series.
Something that Mark Lawrence did very well was give little hints at a much larger world and much larger conflict, while never really taking away from the stakes right in front of us. I cared about our protagonists immediate goals just as much as I started to care about the fate of the world. This is a tough balance to achieve, and Lawrence pulls it off.
What I didn’t care about was the ton of side-characters we meet and need to care for. There ended up being a few that I remembered and cared about, but for such a tight story, there was a lot of people I needed to remember - and a few that don’t have page-time for half the book before I need to meet and remember them again. This is my biggest critique, but even then it wasn’t too bad - I’ve certainly read worse. It was also mitigated by the strength of the character-development of the protagonist. I cared enough about her that I was able to forgive the forgettable-ness of the side characters.
Overall, my interest is piqued - and I’m excited to see what happens with the rest of this series.
Something that Mark Lawrence did very well was give little hints at a much larger world and much larger conflict, while never really taking away from the stakes right in front of us. I cared about our protagonists immediate goals just as much as I started to care about the fate of the world. This is a tough balance to achieve, and Lawrence pulls it off.
What I didn’t care about was the ton of side-characters we meet and need to care for. There ended up being a few that I remembered and cared about, but for such a tight story, there was a lot of people I needed to remember - and a few that don’t have page-time for half the book before I need to meet and remember them again. This is my biggest critique, but even then it wasn’t too bad - I’ve certainly read worse. It was also mitigated by the strength of the character-development of the protagonist. I cared enough about her that I was able to forgive the forgettable-ness of the side characters.
Overall, my interest is piqued - and I’m excited to see what happens with the rest of this series.
Guardians Of Glyndor: The Disappearing Creatures by Nicoleclaire.C
adventurous
lighthearted
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
4.0
This book would have had my 15-year-old self just eating up every word and coming back for more.
As cliche as it feels, the perfect description of this book is Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter. GoG has the pacing, tone, and stakes of Percy Jackson - it doesn’t keep you waiting for anything. The world is going to end soon, and our plucky protagonists definitely are going to be the ones to save the world. This mixes with the magical school setting and teenage romance of Harry Potter - with all the classroom magic and angsty love triangles that we know and love. If you liked those books and all of the fun camp they lean into, you’ll definitely have fun with this one.
Overall Guardians of Glyndor was light and fun and I had a good time with it. The art included within was also a fun little surprise.
Overall Guardians of Glyndor was light and fun and I had a good time with it. The art included within was also a fun little surprise.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A quick and thrilling read, A Darker Shade of Magic is a quintessential example of what I would want from the first book in a trilogy.
My immediate reaction after finishing this first in the series is being very impressed with the pacing and efficiency of the book. With a very approachable page count, there wasn’t a moment wasted in the book. From the first few pages I was intrigued by the world building and characters, and very quickly the plot kicks off and doesn’t slow down until the book is finishing. On top of this, I never felt rushed or overwhelmed by the book. Instead just guided along a fantastic story.
I came into A Darker Shade of Magic knowing it’s the first in a trilogy, and so I had expectations that the book would spend plenty of time establishing a greater meta-narrative that would span the trilogy. While plenty of plot threads were sown, this story had such a tight narrative in of itself that it would be able to function as a stand-alone novel and not feel like it was missing much. It might be the example I use when describing my ideal first book in a series from now on.
I was very pleasantly surprised by A Darker Shade of Magic, and I’m certainly looking forward to the rest of the series.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking was a cute, lighthearted, cozy adventure, with more depth than I was expecting.
Full to the brim with baking puns and metaphors, this book was one of the cases where I got exactly what I was expecting and hoping for when I picked up this book. After a few heavier books I was looking for something light and engaging - something that would be easy to read and enjoy. Defensive baking scratched that itch exactly and then some. The book positively oozed charm, and I was along for the ride almost immediately. In the most positive of ways, this is absolutely a book you can judge by its cover. My only small gripe was the occasional joke or line that was used a little too frequently for my taste.
All that being said, the book had a hidden depth I wasn’t expecting. There was a moment when I thought I must be nearing the climax of the book, and it turns out I was only around halfway, and there was an entire other act that propelled the book even further.
Overall I think this book accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. If the title and cover have piqued your interest, you’re almost certainly going to enjoy the book.
Full to the brim with baking puns and metaphors, this book was one of the cases where I got exactly what I was expecting and hoping for when I picked up this book. After a few heavier books I was looking for something light and engaging - something that would be easy to read and enjoy. Defensive baking scratched that itch exactly and then some. The book positively oozed charm, and I was along for the ride almost immediately. In the most positive of ways, this is absolutely a book you can judge by its cover. My only small gripe was the occasional joke or line that was used a little too frequently for my taste.
All that being said, the book had a hidden depth I wasn’t expecting. There was a moment when I thought I must be nearing the climax of the book, and it turns out I was only around halfway, and there was an entire other act that propelled the book even further.
Overall I think this book accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. If the title and cover have piqued your interest, you’re almost certainly going to enjoy the book.
Sand Dunes and Skyscrapers by Delia Simpson
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Sand Dunes and Skyscrapers has an interesting premise and a fair amount of potential, but ultimate suffers from not fully knowing what it wants to be.
Sand Dunes sits in a novelette range in length, which is a fairly tricky length to work with. It’s not long enough to spend much time in exposition without making the story lose momentum, but it’s too long to just leave things completely vague and evocative without any answers, and so it requires a VERY deft hand to make it work well. This defines my struggles with the book perfectly. It felt like the author had such interesting ideas they wanted to explore, but didn’t give themselves enough time to really unpack them. So while I would have been satisfied with no answers and things just left mysterious, what we ended up with was a lot of quick or half answers that didn’t satisfying as much either way. I thought the protagonist was charming, and the loss of agency could have been really interesting, but we didn’t get enough time with any internal struggles. Some of these struggles are likely smoothed out in the larger series, but books need to be self-sufficient to a degree as well.
Overall, the book had an interesting premise and fun moments, but left me a little wanting in the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sand Dunes sits in a novelette range in length, which is a fairly tricky length to work with. It’s not long enough to spend much time in exposition without making the story lose momentum, but it’s too long to just leave things completely vague and evocative without any answers, and so it requires a VERY deft hand to make it work well. This defines my struggles with the book perfectly. It felt like the author had such interesting ideas they wanted to explore, but didn’t give themselves enough time to really unpack them. So while I would have been satisfied with no answers and things just left mysterious, what we ended up with was a lot of quick or half answers that didn’t satisfying as much either way. I thought the protagonist was charming, and the loss of agency could have been really interesting, but we didn’t get enough time with any internal struggles. Some of these struggles are likely smoothed out in the larger series, but books need to be self-sufficient to a degree as well.
Overall, the book had an interesting premise and fun moments, but left me a little wanting in the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Study Guide for Murder: A Master Class Mystery by Lori Robbins
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
3.75
Study Guide for Murder was a fun and uncomplicated romp which, at times, got more serious than I was expecting.
What you get is really on the cover for this one. It features an English teacher caught up in the middle of a murder mystery. If you’re looking for a gritty, realistic, hardboiled mystery, I feel like you probably didn’t pick up this book in the first place. If you want a witty, fun escapade with some admittedly ham-fisted Lit Fiction references, then you’re in the right place.
The dialogue started occasionally clunky at first but smoothed out quite a bit as the story progressed. Our protagonist had some good and surprisingly nuanced character-work, while the majority of cast beside her didn’t really have enough page-time to warrant much depth anyway. I will say one of the plot points that caught me by surprise is about the protagonists unhappy marriage. It’s handled quite well, but I’ll admit my own bias that I never enjoy that plot line much personally. Not a knock against the author or book at all, but it did dampen my personal enjoyment.
Overall the book was fun - I liked it and don’t have any more complicated emotions regarding it than that.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What you get is really on the cover for this one. It features an English teacher caught up in the middle of a murder mystery. If you’re looking for a gritty, realistic, hardboiled mystery, I feel like you probably didn’t pick up this book in the first place. If you want a witty, fun escapade with some admittedly ham-fisted Lit Fiction references, then you’re in the right place.
The dialogue started occasionally clunky at first but smoothed out quite a bit as the story progressed. Our protagonist had some good and surprisingly nuanced character-work, while the majority of cast beside her didn’t really have enough page-time to warrant much depth anyway. I will say one of the plot points that caught me by surprise is about the protagonists unhappy marriage. It’s handled quite well, but I’ll admit my own bias that I never enjoy that plot line much personally. Not a knock against the author or book at all, but it did dampen my personal enjoyment.
Overall the book was fun - I liked it and don’t have any more complicated emotions regarding it than that.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Throne of Jade is fine.
The second instalment of the Temeraire series didn’t have anything wrong with it, it just also didn’t have anything that stands out greatly as well. His Majesty’s Dragon (the first in the series) carried a fun whimsy and interesting stakes that propelled the book forward despite somewhat clunky character work. This book smooths out much of the clunkiness but also removes a lot of the fun and whimsy.
Much of the book is devoted to politicking - which, believe it or not, is not the thing I’m looking for when I pick up a book about the napoleonic wars with dragons. There are precisely 3 moments of any action at all, and the longest by far DOESN’T HAVE ANY DRAGONS. I want more dragons in my dragon book!
All that to say, it certainly wasn’t a bad book, just not what I was looking for when I grabbed it. I’ll likely still read the 3rd book, but I’m not currently sold on the series.
The second instalment of the Temeraire series didn’t have anything wrong with it, it just also didn’t have anything that stands out greatly as well. His Majesty’s Dragon (the first in the series) carried a fun whimsy and interesting stakes that propelled the book forward despite somewhat clunky character work. This book smooths out much of the clunkiness but also removes a lot of the fun and whimsy.
Much of the book is devoted to politicking - which, believe it or not, is not the thing I’m looking for when I pick up a book about the napoleonic wars with dragons. There are precisely 3 moments of any action at all, and the longest by far DOESN’T HAVE ANY DRAGONS. I want more dragons in my dragon book!
All that to say, it certainly wasn’t a bad book, just not what I was looking for when I grabbed it. I’ll likely still read the 3rd book, but I’m not currently sold on the series.