jamie1498's reviews
45 reviews

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-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

4.5

This was such a delightful read. One of my favorites this year. The journal format, the characters, and the folklore included were all so thoughtful. This novel struck the right balance for my fantasy, hitting some cozy moments, some action, and intrigue. It even included a pining romance that did not overwhelm or overtake the story. I can’t wait to continue the series!

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

It’s hard to give this one a review. It was so inconsistent for me. Parts of it were wonderful and others dragged or made me cringe. Dialogue worked sometimes, and other times it really didn’t. POV would shift within the same chapter which would take me out. The initial concept of a paladin of a dead god intrigued me. Pacing was all over the place. I think the book had a few too many subplots/setups for future novels than my liking. I’m not sure that I’m willing to give the second one a shot to see if a fresh perspective makes it better. The supporting cast was solid. I didn’t love either of the MCs whole heartedly but could see myself liking future MCs out of this cast. 

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

At times I enjoyed this book more than the first, at others I liked the first more. I wish the cast hadn’t been split for most of the book. I missed Elspeth’s autonomy for most of the novel. Ione and Elm’s storyline was a bright spot for me. All in all, pacing was an issue at points but still thought it was a fun read!

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Really enjoyed this one. The overarching plot beats felt well-paced and the setting/world-building was enjoyable. There were moments that felt  forced or repetitive. The romance felt a little sudden or out of place at first. I wish there’d been more space to let it play out slower.

Saga, Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan

adventurous emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Glad to be getting back into Saga. It feels timely and poignant despite being ~10 years old. 

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.75

The concept is interesting, but the pacing dragged. The world is really interesting and a lot of the side characters would have been great to see more of. I wish a good chunk of this book was not info-dumping and just spoon feeding things to the reader. It got repetitive and kept the pace too slow. If you focus on what the book does well, there’s rich magic and creatures, an interesting school setting, and diverse characters. Unfortunately, it’s just overshadowed by SO MUCH info dumping and a hard-to-love protagonist. 

Graceling (Graphic Novel) by Kristin Cashore

adventurous inspiring medium-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

3.5

A lovely adaptation of a beloved book I read in middle school. It was great to revisit this story in graphic novel form. I missed some of the detail from the original, but that’s to be expected for an adaption. All in all, I feel inspired to reread the series. 

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.75

I loved this book! It covers years of time and the character development felt natural. I found Elliot at times so relatable, so funny, and so devastating. These are characters I wish I could follow further. Pacing was sometimes a little slow for my taste, but overall, this was a fantastic book that pulled me out of my reading slump and string of DNFs. 

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.

I thought starting with the very first disc world novel made sense, but I was wrong. It’s tough to follow, as much as I want to enjoy it. Pan to do a bit more research on reading order and revisit to hopefully enjoy more in the future.