quasinaut's reviews
130 reviews
The Will of the Empress, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
5.0
I love seeing Daja, Tris, Sandry, and Briar come back to each other! Where the Circle Opens books asked them all to behave like adults (despite being 13/14), this book realistically portrays them as 18-year-olds who are flirting and developing crushes, dealing with trauma, and getting on each other's nerves.
In addition, I like seeing the court intrigue that plays out with the empress, rife with friendships and betrayals while the four foster siblings are reknitting together as they're submerged in an environment unknown to them. All in all, a solid plot featuring these four almost-adults as well as some fantastic new side characters, like Gudruny, Zhegorz, and Ambros.
In addition, I like seeing the court intrigue that plays out with the empress, rife with friendships and betrayals while the four foster siblings are reknitting together as they're submerged in an environment unknown to them. All in all, a solid plot featuring these four almost-adults as well as some fantastic new side characters, like Gudruny, Zhegorz, and Ambros.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Mental illness
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: War
Shatterglass, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
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
Tamora Pierce again builds a new city with its own people and customs and problems. I liked meeting Keth and Glaki and Chime and many of the various side characters.
I felt like the serial killer plotline was so stalled throughout the book -- each murder a repeat of the last, with Dema getting foiled by the priests as well as the constraints put on him through his rank as a member of the First Class. But then as soon as Keth started helping, this story resolved perhaps too neatly.
I find Tris to be so frustrating because she's so reactive and, often, rude. For someone who likes reading and learning, I was surprised by how little she understood the customs in this city; she doesn't need to accept them, but she must understand them in order to work within them. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, found the setting to be intriguing, and was underwhelmed by the plot.
I felt like the serial killer plotline was so stalled throughout the book -- each murder a repeat of the last, with Dema getting foiled by the priests as well as the constraints put on him through his rank as a member of the First Class. But then as soon as Keth started helping, this story resolved perhaps too neatly.
I find Tris to be so frustrating because she's so reactive and, often, rude. For someone who likes reading and learning, I was surprised by how little she understood the customs in this city; she doesn't need to accept them, but she must understand them in order to work within them. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and their interactions, found the setting to be intriguing, and was underwhelmed by the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Classism
Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.5
My coworker recommended this book when I asked for something outside my standard fare (mostly romance novels of late), and I'm glad I went in without knowing too much. I adored experiencing Odd's perspective as he travels through life.
Fascinatingly written, with touches of foreshadowing throughout. I tend to turn off the predict-what-happens part of my brain while reading and just let the story wash over me, but there were a few times when I put the book down for a day or two because I feared what might happen to Odd and his friends, his chosen family. While there were some tense moments and devastating consequences, I'm glad I kept reading.
Fascinatingly written, with touches of foreshadowing throughout. I tend to turn off the predict-what-happens part of my brain while reading and just let the story wash over me, but there were a few times when I put the book down for a day or two because I feared what might happen to Odd and his friends, his chosen family. While there were some tense moments and devastating consequences, I'm glad I kept reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Medical content, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Body horror
Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, and Grief
Cold Fire, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5.0
It's so hard to see Daja, who has such a solid head on her shoulders and who wants to believe the best of people, have her trust taken advantage of. I appreciated getting more of Daja's point of view, particularly while she balances her frustration with things she doesn't feel good at (teaching the twins meditation, learning to ice skate) with her determination to do what's right and expected of her.
A minor quibble: throughout the book, it was often questioned why Morrachane was only nice to Nia and Jory. It would be explained that she doted on them because she missed her dead grandchildren... but then the question would come up again later, which led me to think we would get some sort of reveal that would explain more. This never came, so I wonder why this came up again and again or if I've just missed something!
A minor quibble: throughout the book, it was often questioned why Morrachane was only nice to Nia and Jory. It would be explained that she doted on them because she missed her dead grandchildren... but then the question would come up again later, which led me to think we would get some sort of reveal that would explain more. This never came, so I wonder why this came up again and again or if I've just missed something!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Mental illness and Adult/minor relationship
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess, by Tom Gauld
5.0
A quirky and enchanting picture book. I would love to read more adventures from this pair of unusual royal siblings -- and it was oddly funny and delightful to have off-page adventures hinted at in the book! -- but as it is this tale was just enough to satisfy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infertility
Street Magic, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.75
A reread, though I barely remember this book from when I first read it years ago. As always, Tamora Pierce does a masterful job introducing a new setting and characters. I loved Evvy's sass and her cats!
Overall, a solid story that shows Briar begin to reframe his past belief in gangs as necessary for protection, but there were many elements that grated on me -- Rosethorn correcting Briar's speech, Jebilu's negative portrayal through his fatness, the fact that 14-year-olds were made full mages yet weren't told what that would entail for them.
Overall, a solid story that shows Briar begin to reframe his past belief in gangs as necessary for protection, but there were many elements that grated on me -- Rosethorn correcting Briar's speech, Jebilu's negative portrayal through his fatness, the fact that 14-year-olds were made full mages yet weren't told what that would entail for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia and Injury/injury detail
Minor: Slavery, Racism, and Xenophobia
Magic Steps, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Tamora Pierce always has such a talent for allowing her characters to age and grow into their own. I love seeing Sandry realize that she had outgrown Discipline cottage, that she was capable of being a teacher (with support from others! She's still only 14), and that she could do just plain hard things. (That said, I am quite skeptical that the Duke would let Sandry mother him as much as he does!)
Pasco was new -- his energetic, distractible personality was a nice contrast to Sandry's -- but I didn't feel that much depth to his character, except that he felt pressured by his harrier upbringing. Why did his family feel the need to impose such expectations on him? Clearly they should've been more worried about his cousin the bully...
Plotwise, I was so intrigued by the unmagic mage and the assassins who are slowly being consumed by the unmagic, but I wish we'd gotten more about these characters and why the retribution they were enacting on the Rokat family was so all encompassing. Why seek to kill all Rokats, including children, for the murder of one Dihanur?
All in all, I wanted more depth. Plus, I, like Sandry, miss Tris, Daja, and Briar (and Niko, Frostpine, and Rosethorn of course)!
Pasco was new -- his energetic, distractible personality was a nice contrast to Sandry's -- but I didn't feel that much depth to his character, except that he felt pressured by his harrier upbringing. Why did his family feel the need to impose such expectations on him? Clearly they should've been more worried about his cousin the bully...
Plotwise, I was so intrigued by the unmagic mage and the assassins who are slowly being consumed by the unmagic, but I wish we'd gotten more about these characters and why the retribution they were enacting on the Rokat family was so all encompassing. Why seek to kill all Rokats, including children, for the murder of one Dihanur?
All in all, I wanted more depth. Plus, I, like Sandry, miss Tris, Daja, and Briar (and Niko, Frostpine, and Rosethorn of course)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse
Minor: Death of parent
Briar's Book, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Gosh it's weird (re)reading a book about a pandemic during a pandemic! Equal parts devastating and heartwarming, this book follows Briar as he nurses the sick and helps with the intricate behind-the-scenes work uncovering a cure, all while people he cares about fall ill.
I appreciated seeing Briar's growing love for Rosethorn, his friends, and his new home, though I do wish that we'd seen more growth with Briar's magic in this book. I also totally struggled to get a sense of the passage of time -- I still can't tell if months or only weeks passed between the first cases, the middle of the outbreak, and the finding of a cure?
Side note: I can't stand how much Rosethorn "corrects" Briar's speech. Stop being so prescriptivist! Also, can't you see that his code switching allows him to gain the trust of Flick and the other street rats? Major pet peeve of mine!
I appreciated seeing Briar's growing love for Rosethorn, his friends, and his new home, though I do wish that we'd seen more growth with Briar's magic in this book. I also totally struggled to get a sense of the passage of time -- I still can't tell if months or only weeks passed between the first cases, the middle of the outbreak, and the finding of a cure?
Side note: I can't stand how much Rosethorn "corrects" Briar's speech. Stop being so prescriptivist! Also, can't you see that his code switching allows him to gain the trust of Flick and the other street rats? Major pet peeve of mine!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Child death
Moderate: Grief
Daja's Book, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
emotional
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
So eye-opening to learn more about Trader customs -- and how Daja specifically is treated as trangshi. I appreciated how new characters (Polyam, Inoulia, Yarrun) were portrayed as both flawed -- harsh, disdainful, prideful -- while also acknowledging that they are trying hard to serve their people, whether it's Polyam's Trader caravan or Inoulia's and Yarrun's communities threatened by wildfires.
I struggled to visualize some of the scenes and objects described in the writing -- the creation of Daja's living metal tree, the weaving Sandry does to untangle their magics, the journey through hot springs to the glacier. Definitely something that would be fascinating to see translated to a visual medium, but alas, the written descriptions alone didn't quite work for me.
I struggled to visualize some of the scenes and objects described in the writing -- the creation of Daja's living metal tree, the weaving Sandry does to untangle their magics, the journey through hot springs to the glacier. Definitely something that would be fascinating to see translated to a visual medium, but alas, the written descriptions alone didn't quite work for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
Minor: Death and Xenophobia
Tris's Book, by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.5
Tris, and Briar, Daja, and Sandry, must face their magic and their fears when pirates attack Winding Circle. I appreciate the hints scattered throughout -- suspicious behavior, new magical skills, conversations captured on the wind -- that all come together in the end.
Only complaint is that it feels like the final few chapters speed along to an overly quick resolution. (I'm sure if these books were written today, they'd be much longer with more depth into what's happening and why!)
Only complaint is that it feels like the final few chapters speed along to an overly quick resolution. (I'm sure if these books were written today, they'd be much longer with more depth into what's happening and why!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Injury/injury detail
Minor: Slavery