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jsegaloff's reviews
294 reviews
The Rebel's Night by Raneem Abu-Nimeh
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.5
This author continues to impress me. She has a gift for creating strong female characters that are "broken" in a way in which we can identify with them. In this novel, Isadora has been owned and raised by an cruel King in a land of complete darkness. There is a group of people looking to rise-up against oppression, but they are not able to complete the task alone.
The reader gets to crawl around inside Isadora's mind as she battles, the King and the feeling of isolation she has because she has lost her entire family. The internal struggle to find herself and accept her own strengths without judging herself for past misdeeds makes this story a very engaging read.
The plot is simple, so if you're looking for something with a lot of twists and turns, this might not be your favorite read. If you are looking for strong character development and vivid scenes with a lot of details that engross you in the moment, then this one is for you. There are a couple of surprises along the way, but the reward is in finding your own faults as Isadora battles hers. Most of us can identify with Isadora's struggles during different points in our own lives. It gives this fantasy adventure a very realistic feel.
I don't throw out 5-star reviews unless I find myself so engrossed in a story that it BECOMES my life...so a 4-star review from me might carry the weight of other reviewer's 5-stars. Pick this one up. Much like Isadora, this author is headed for greatness.
The reader gets to crawl around inside Isadora's mind as she battles, the King and the feeling of isolation she has because she has lost her entire family. The internal struggle to find herself and accept her own strengths without judging herself for past misdeeds makes this story a very engaging read.
The plot is simple, so if you're looking for something with a lot of twists and turns, this might not be your favorite read. If you are looking for strong character development and vivid scenes with a lot of details that engross you in the moment, then this one is for you. There are a couple of surprises along the way, but the reward is in finding your own faults as Isadora battles hers. Most of us can identify with Isadora's struggles during different points in our own lives. It gives this fantasy adventure a very realistic feel.
I don't throw out 5-star reviews unless I find myself so engrossed in a story that it BECOMES my life...so a 4-star review from me might carry the weight of other reviewer's 5-stars. Pick this one up. Much like Isadora, this author is headed for greatness.
Mathsmagica: Tapestry of Shadows by Daniel Stefanov Georgiev
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is a tough one for me to assign starts to... I chose to give the stars as if this book were perfectly edited by an American or someone from the UK. English is not the primary language of this author, so I don't think stars should be taken for errors in grammar or mis-use of some words. I feel I need to mention it here though because I know that drives some readers absolutely insane! For example:
On page 121, ""Level Three Illumination Magic, Light's Embrace," Evie said three times in a roll." Did the author mean "in a row?" Is that a typo or a misuse of words? It kind-of works this way anyhow, so does it matter?
On p. 173, "I scouted the area to assimilate the situation." Did the author mean, "to assimilate TO the situation?" or maybe "to ASSESS the situation?"
These things happen throughout the book. If it bothers you, avoid this read.
Now that this part is out of the way, let's talk about the actual story. Yes, it is a "magic school" story but it is unique. There is definitely a darkness under the surface that is uncommon in the traditional YA-type magic school storyline. This is why it bothers me so much that the main characters often act VERY childish. At times, the things they say and the ways they behave make me think they are only nine or ten years old, and that is not the case. This was my reason for docking a star. It made the characters less believable.
The greatest part of the story, in my opinion, is that magic doesn't just materialize out of thin air. It is created by manipulating mathematical formulas. It gives a notion that maybe we can all achieve magic if we just figured out how to put those formulas together correctly! Though no words are NEEDED to cast magic, their use in the book helps the reader to identify the type of magic being used AND it helps the person casting the magic focus on the task.
Another really useful and cool part of this book was the little "from the archives" sections before each chapter (often accompanied by a sketch). In some books, these sections seem useless to me and I often skip them, but in this book they truly were part of the story and helped clarify what was happening in the story and why.
On page 121, ""Level Three Illumination Magic, Light's Embrace," Evie said three times in a roll." Did the author mean "in a row?" Is that a typo or a misuse of words? It kind-of works this way anyhow, so does it matter?
On p. 173, "I scouted the area to assimilate the situation." Did the author mean, "to assimilate TO the situation?" or maybe "to ASSESS the situation?"
These things happen throughout the book. If it bothers you, avoid this read.
Now that this part is out of the way, let's talk about the actual story. Yes, it is a "magic school" story but it is unique. There is definitely a darkness under the surface that is uncommon in the traditional YA-type magic school storyline. This is why it bothers me so much that the main characters often act VERY childish. At times, the things they say and the ways they behave make me think they are only nine or ten years old, and that is not the case. This was my reason for docking a star. It made the characters less believable.
The greatest part of the story, in my opinion, is that magic doesn't just materialize out of thin air. It is created by manipulating mathematical formulas. It gives a notion that maybe we can all achieve magic if we just figured out how to put those formulas together correctly! Though no words are NEEDED to cast magic, their use in the book helps the reader to identify the type of magic being used AND it helps the person casting the magic focus on the task.
Another really useful and cool part of this book was the little "from the archives" sections before each chapter (often accompanied by a sketch). In some books, these sections seem useless to me and I often skip them, but in this book they truly were part of the story and helped clarify what was happening in the story and why.
The Last Faoii by Tahani Nelson
adventurous
fast-paced
3.0
I wanted to LOVE this book. I thought I had my next series to read. It didn't work out. It's not that there was anything WRONG with the story...it just didn't grip me. I wasn't really interested until about chapter 19. Around chapter 30, I found myself wanting to know what happened next, at last! Then, the story got very weird and a little harder to follow what was happening. Time flew by a bit and suddenly, it was over....with nothing to make me feel as if I need to find the next book in the adventure.
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
Pretty amazing story until the end. I was terribly disappointed that the two women missed out on 50 years of friendship and just can't imagine that one of them would not have looked up the family of the other.
Dragon Guard by Raven Penn, Blake Penn
adventurous
hopeful
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
I REALLY like this story! I feel as if the characters have become my friends and I have Book 3 on Pre-order. I follow ashleyottesen_ on Instagram and she does some book reviews among a lot of hysterical skits and she recommended this series. I'm glad I took her up on her advise! I was hooked after Book 1, and now I'm recommending this one to all my students. This is a great read for young and old!
Dragon Thief by Blake and Raven Penn
adventurous
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
I listened to this as an audiobook and REALLY enjoyed it. EVERYTHING revolves around dragons! I really enjoyed the bonds between the characters and their mounts. The authors did an excellent job giving back story and details through the action. It takes a little while to get a full grasp of the magic system because it isn't just laid out for the reader, but that was part of what made this book so great.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
At least this time I was prepared for those sneaky sex scenes. This book revealed more of the emotional conflict within a lot of the characters. Book 1 was full of action. This book had action, but you also got to know the characters' inner thoughts and reasons for the actions a bit more.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
medium-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? Yes
4.0
I loved everything about the book except the sex scenes. This book could EASILY have stopped short of the graphic descriptions of the scene and been just as enjoyable if not MORE enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
I listened to this one on audiobook because the narrator 's voice is great and really helps with the feel of the book and origin of the characters.
I loved the other books in this series but I was disappointed with this one. I felt as if t e author wrote this one just to finish the series up. The plot was much more linear then the other books.
I loved the other books in this series but I was disappointed with this one. I felt as if t e author wrote this one just to finish the series up. The plot was much more linear then the other books.
Too Much Tinsel by Amy Wolf
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? No
3.0
Right from the beginning, I was reminded of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as I was reading. For the first 3rd of the book, I saw the action in black and white. At some point, the feeling changed and I was just reading another mystery. Maybe I had finally become accustomed to the language of the times?
Anyhow, I really love Errol (the dragon). He is adorably sweet. I am not a huge fan of the MC though which made this a tricky read for me. I also know next to nothing about Hollywood and movies so it took a little work for me to understand some of what was happening at times.
Overall, this was a lighthearted read and enjoyable. I particularly liked the history woven throughout.
Anyhow, I really love Errol (the dragon). He is adorably sweet. I am not a huge fan of the MC though which made this a tricky read for me. I also know next to nothing about Hollywood and movies so it took a little work for me to understand some of what was happening at times.
Overall, this was a lighthearted read and enjoyable. I particularly liked the history woven throughout.