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kishab's reviews
246 reviews
Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann
4.0
Another super fun mystery with Agnes Sharpe and the gang! This time the Sunset Hall residents are off on a relaxing vacation, but it’s not all sunny days. This is a great take on a locked room mystery, with lots of twists and turns, a “cold case” murder and a few fresh bodies turn this vacation into a working holiday. I only figured out half of the mystery which was a nice surprise. The reveals were smart and the new characters were all great additions. Overall this was a really fun read and the narrator again does a great job with all of the character voices.
Thanks to Netgalley, RB Media and Leonie Swann for this ALC
A Pirate's Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne
3.0
I love the idea of a cozy pirate adventure but for me this didn’t quite hit the mark. I had a good time reading but I felt like there were so many things introduced that nothing was explored thoroughly. I missed the cozy bookshop and small town feels from the first book, and even though this was a good addition to the series it wasn’t my favourite. I would have liked it a little more of the pirate side of things and of course every problem was easily resolved so again we didn’t really get into anything fully. I’ll probably still continue with the series because this is a nice palate cleanser but not something I’ll go out of my way for
Thanks to Netgalley, Rebecca Thorne and Macmillan Audio for this ALC
Empire of Shadows by Jacquelyn Benson
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
I loved this book! Ultimately I have no notes, this was so fun and had everything I love in a book. I first picked it up because I heard it described as having The Mummy vibes, which is my favourite movie so the book had a lot of live up to but it delivered. The author must have done a ton of research, the history and setting was so well done. The characters had great banter and the slow burn was so perfect. Even though there’s romance the main plot of the story was strong enough to do without it. The audiobook was really well done and the narrator did a great job with bringing all of the characters to life. To me this is a perfect blend of The Mummy and Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Fairies, and I can’t wait to read more by this author!
Thanks to NetGalley, Jacquelyn Benson and Vaughan Woods Publishing for this ALC
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
I feel like I’ve been waiting for so long to read this book and it did not disappoint. The author describes it as a magical gay murder cruise and I agree. This is a super fun read, the mystery is intriguing and the magic system is really interesting but not overly complicated. I feel like there is some social commentary on different classes of wealth but it really works for the plot. The twists and reveals weren’t predictable to me and the whole book reminded me of Clue. I also think this would be a great audiobook, then you can really hear the difference in the characters. My only complaint would be that this felt more like a YA book than an adult book but it didn’t really bother me too much. Overall it was a fun read, and a great standalone fantasy mystery which are my two favourite genres!
Thanks to NetGalley, Mira Books and Frances White for this e-ARC
Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I was first interested in reading this book because of Leigh Bardugo and Alix E Harrows amazing reviews. I definitely enjoyed the story and became way too invested in some of the side characters. I don’t normally pick up books that would be make me cry but I almost shed a tear because of the fate of my favourite side character. Some reviews say the characters are typical archetypes and the twists are predictable but I didn’t find that at all! I had a faint idea of one twist but nothing else. I’ve also heard this described as a fantasy romance but I didn’t think the romance was the main plot point, I almost thought there could have been a bit more. I had both the e-ARC and ALC but I wasn’t a fan of the audio, something about the narrators voice didn’t work for me, I found the accents a bit hard to understand. Overall I thought this was a fun read, and I’m really excited for the next book. For me, this did really live up to hype.
Thanks to NetGalley, Orbit, Hachette Audio and Sarah Rees Brennan for the e-ARC and ALC