nixter's reviews
186 reviews

Blood Orange by Karina Halle

dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

I can’t tell if it’s because I went into this book with low expectations or if it was genuinely good, but I liked it. I always love when authors find ways to reinvent vampires. When it comes to smut books, I have gotten used to no plot and an abundance of sex, but I was pleasantly surprised that there was actually a plot to move us through the story. 

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark tense 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

4.0

I’m usually so scared to read sequels because more often than not, they let me down, but this was still a work of art. Because my standards for the first one are so high, I cannot give this a full 5 stars, but it was close. I continue to love the depth of the characters, the magic systems, the lore, and the overall worldbuilding. Despite the fact that the world created is so vast and unique, we truly get an understanding of how it works, which is not easy for a high fantasy story. 

The political intrigue and maneuvering is still engaging, but where they lost me a little bit is the fact that this novel is clearly here to put the pieces in place for whatever is to come in the final installment of the trilogy. It was very entertaining and insightful, but it was still very much exposition that set up for the third book. 

Another issue I had is keeping track of who is who. I’m not sure if I’m just in a different headspace than I was in the first book, or if there are more characters we are seeing the perspectives of, but I found myself sometimes needing to take a second to remind myself of who is talking and where they are in the story. However, once I figured that out, I was right back into it. 

Finally, the author somehow makes me root for many people on warring sides of the political spectrum. Normally, there are the heroes and there are the villains, but here, there’s both and neither. One chapter I want one group to win, and the next, I’m on someone else’s side completely. I’m very excited to see how all this ends. 

This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I was really excited for the release of this book as I’ve been following the promo for it for months. It has the makings of everything I’m interested in: historical fiction, sapphic, vampires, enemies to lovers, and Black. Unfortunately, it fell very flat for me. 

Starting off with the setting. I was looking forward to having a vampiric fantasy set in 1920s Harlem, but the environment had no bearing on the story. To be honest, it could’ve taken place anywhere or anytime except for the occasional references to “gangsters”, jazz, and the Cotton Club. I wish the historical aspect had more of a role in the story because I was intrigued by it. 

The plot itself turned out to be a basic murder mystery that I really didn’t care to see solved. The two main characters were the most fleshed out in the book, but that’s not saying much. Every other character felt like a shell of a person with no depth or nuance. I also felt no chemistry between our supposed couple. They were a friends to enemies to lovers tale which SHOULD have been intriguing, but we never explore their initial friendship enough for me to care about the rest. 

Finally, the pacing was just bad. I was so bored for the first 50%, and it only just barely improved after that. I only finished because this is a buddy read. There were long stretches of absolutely nothing happening. Additionally, a lot of the dialogue felt clunky and unnatural. Quite frankly, this seems like an editor issue. This book had the bare bones of something great, but it feels like a draft that needs to be looked over another time or two. 

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

Let me preface by saying that I think a lot of my review is colored by the fact that I’ve been becoming more distanced from YA recently, and I may have to concede that it’s just not for me anymore. If you are a fan of YA — like it’s your primary genre — then I think you’ll really love this. Now that that’s out of the ways here’s my review: 

I was very interested in the worldbuilding, especially because this is a Jamaican inspired fantasy. I’m always so excited to see Caribbean culture adapted into a fantasy setting. I think the story had the makings of something amazing, and maybe the inevitable sequel will be even stronger. The characters and their sorted histories and dynamics were interesting to me initially, and I was anxious to delve deeper into all of them. Unfortunately, I don’t think we got much more than the surface level relationships on the page. I felt no connection to any of the characters, and a lot of the plot seemed like we were being told something but not shown it. The characters lacked nuance, which is something that contributes to my enjoyment of a book. 

Additionally, the plot, in my opinion, was very predictable, and I wish there was just a moment where I couldn’t figure out where something was headed. Once again, this just may be where my adult brain is working against my enjoyment of the text because someone in the target demographic might not be able to see all the pieces in front of them so clearly. 

I will say, I was the most fascinated by the magic system in the book. I think I have a clear understanding of the dragon related magic, but I’m still confused by the scope of the other magic we are introduced to and would have loved to have that fleshed out a bit. But in its totality, the magic and lore was my favorite part of the story.

Finally, I think my biggest concern with this book is that so much could’ve been different if one character had just openly communicated with another. It’s so frustrating to watch everything crumble and end the way it ends from a lack of simple communication. Out of anger, I almost gave this a 2, but after sitting with my feelings for a bit longer, I came to my senses. 

Overall, I definitely think this book has an audience that will love it and praise it, and I want that for the author. However, I cannot be one of those readers. If you are someone who prefers YA and more simplistic plots, then I think this is better suited for you. 

The Black Girl Survives in This One by Saraciea J. Fennell, Desiree S. Evans

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

This collection of short horror stories was very fun and easy to get through. Each story was unique from one another and created their own atmosphere in only a few pages. As expected, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but there were none that I outright disliked. Also as to be expected, this was very YA, so I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you truly want something haunting. They were mostly surface level horror stories where the characters are more intriguing than the actual plot. Anyway, I had a fun time, and am glad that I chose to intentionally expand my genre interests this year to include more horror and thriller content. 

Angels Before Man by rafael nicolás

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

I can see why so many people have been raving about this book and giving it five stars. The writing and imagery is gorgeous. I would have loved to have seen more of the world building. Additionally, it would have been nice to get a more in depth look at some of the side characters and flesh them out some, but what we got of the other angels, I quite enjoyed. I love the spin on the fall of Satan and like seeing how everything unfolds, but I wish the pacing was more consistent. The first half could be tedious at times, and not much happened while the second half came out the gate swinging. I would have loved to have the entire corruption and decline spread out more instead of condensed into the last 30%. Overall, this was beautiful and thought provoking, and I’ll definitely continue the series. 

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

4.0

it’s really hard to summarize what made this enjoyable. It was unique, clever, whimsical, emotional, and funny. The cast of characters was entertaining, and I eventually grew to understand each of them and their motivations. However, what made this less than a 5 star read is how confused I was for half of the book. The sheer amount of characters itself if dizzying, but just how the story is told and unfolds doesn’t make sense for a good portion of the book. If you can push through the first half, you’ll be rewarded in the second half, I promise. I know that sounds like a crazy ask but it’s intentionally like that. This was my first Olivie Blake book, and I must say, I’m impressed. 

The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

dark lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson

dark informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

While I don’t align with the author on every single identity and space I occupy, our experiences are very similar in a way that has truly resonated for me while reading this. I think it’s very important to explore race, gender, and sexuality and the way they interact with one another. He doesn’t shy away from some of the more heartbreaking aspects of that journey but also highlights a lot of the joyous moments as well, often noting how they’re not necessarily mutually exclusive. He makes it known that these are his experiences and his alone. So, his journey and search for self will not directly match anyone else, but he wants this to be as helpful as it can be to someone who might need it. Finally, I like how open ended it is. He’s very accepting of the fact that he is not the most he will ever be and his life, ideas, and feelings are still evolving constantly — and that’s okay. Honestly I thought the whole thing was just gorgeously written and was something I could relate to. 

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.0

I really wanted to enjoy this book. ‘This Poison Heart’ by the same author was a 5 star read for me, but the sequel and now this book haven’t hit the way I wanted them to. I will start off by what I enjoyed. I always like a retelling that mixes up what we know about a story. It was refreshing to see the changes made to the original Snow White. She also included other well known fairytales and added her own spin to them as well, which was cute. 

That being said, the plot never truly picked up for me. The pacing threw me off the entire book, and even just getting into it was a slow start, personally. I understand that this is a YA novel, but something about the writing style made it seem even younger than the target audience — almost middle grade. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, as I still very much enjoy certain middle grade books… but not when I’m expecting to read something a little more advanced. 

The characters themselves were either annoying or underdeveloped and one dimensional. The main character was impulsive in a way that made her stupid and a danger to everyone around her. The supposed adults in the book were barely any better and seemed very childish to me. I did really like some of the members of a family we meet a little ways into the story. They were lovely. But overall, I just didn’t build a connection to anyone for real, and I especially didn’t understand the love match that was supposed to have been made. It felt forced and honestly, quite unnecessary. They did nothing to deserve their romance in my opinion. 

Continuing on, I didn’t comprehend the magic system at ALL. I have nothing much to add onto this but anyone that had magic in this story, I didn’t get the extent of their powers and needed a better explanation of what they can do. 

Like I said at the beginning of all this, I am disappointed at how this unfolded for me because I really wanted to get into more of Bayron’s books, but as I have only enjoyed one of the three I’ve read from her, I feel like her stories may not be for me. I do think a young teenager would greatly enjoy this kind of storytelling though, and would recommend it for someone between 11 and 14.