sambam_42's reviews
255 reviews

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous dark sad 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? No

4.25

This was so well written and evocative.  I love all the old Mexican and Mayan imagery. Even though this is somewhat of a Cinderella retelling it gives more than that. Casiopeia is conflicted and young which definitely colors her viewpoint but she's also a bit matured for her age due to circumstances.  

The Land of the Living and the Dead by Shauna Lawless

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

challenging dark hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

mysterious

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

3.0

I love getting more backstory of Lord John. And this one gives us even more with him and Percy - which really elucidates what happens in Go Tell the Bees I Am Gone. I had kind of gotten a hint of what had happened between them from the other books but I'm glad I read this one to flesh it out some more.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall

slow-paced

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

2.75

Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon

adventurous medium-paced

3.25

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Personally I love the main Outlander books more but I do love Lord John as a character. Perhaps I am far enough into the series that I'm used to him as an older man that seeing him back as a young, rakish twenty-something is such a departure from how I currently see him that it was a bit strange. Also, mysteries and intrigues are not always my chosen format so I don't necessarily enjoy them on their own. My mind just does not work that way so I have a hard time following all the intrigues, ins-and-outs, and the whodunnits. But, after all that, it was a fun book that at least did solve one piece of a puzzle for me into Lord John's past.