samtherat17's reviews
116 reviews

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Skyward was a pleasant surprise. It had some great characters and worldbuilding. It hit the emotional notes when it needed to and had an amazing coming-of-age journey for Spensa. It didn't feel like the writing was too simple and considering that this is a YA book, that is a great accomplishment. The ending of this book was also absolutely insane. I could not put the book down near the end.

There were a few things I didn't like. Some of the YA tropes felt a bit annoying and the story could be predictable at times. Also, it sometimes felt that some of the leaders/administration in this book were a bit dumb. 

Other than that, Skyward was   surprisingly great YA sci-fi book from Brandon Sanderson. The ending did a great job of concluding this arc and setting up the next one for Starsight.

God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I have conflicting feelings about God Emperor of Dune. Taking place 3500 years after Children of Dune, a transformed Arrakis is ruled by Leto II, who continues on in his Golden Path. The majority of the book revolves around him and the struggles which come with his unique body and mind. 

Seeing how Leto's Golden Path has changed Arrakis and its society is very interesting, however what really makes this book is the character study of Leto. The struggles of being a one-of-a-kind human/sandworm God Emperor are the focal point of this book and really make Leto a very intriguing and layered character.

While the philosophy and the themes in this book are fascinating, I feel that it comes at the cost of the story/plot being sidelined. Leto II and his journey is very throught-provoking but after finishing this book I realised that not a lot happens in it. And while yes, I appreciate what Frank Herbert is trying to convey, I think the book could have had a better balance of Leto's long philosophical musings and the plot. Another problem is the pacing. I think this book really drags in the middle and could have been shorter. Also, this book contains some problematic depictions of sexuality and a few truly cringe-worthy scenes relating to it.

God Emperor of Dune has its fair share of pros and cons, however I do think it accomplishes what it set out to do. I just think it could have been executed better.  The main problem in the Dune series is that in my opinion, none of the sequels have been able to live up to the first book, at least till here. Personally, I would recommend reading them, but I think you should not expect them to be as good as the first novel. 

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-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

5.0

Wow. What a book. I don't think I have the words to properly describe it, but here goes.
The characters and their relationships were shown in such an amazing way. You've been through hell with these characters and this book does a great job showing how that has affected them and how it has shaped them to be the way they are.
 
The action and the dialogue were top-tier as always which is to be expected from a Red Rising book. A certain thing I want to highlight is that how Pierce Brown writes inner monologues. If you've read the series till here, you know how good he is at it, but one inner monologue he wrote in this one was just so good.

Darrow and his party were the main focus in this book, and this was definitely the right decision considering his path in in the previous two books. Him and his group's journey was riveting and made me feel nostalgic for the original trilogy, even though I read it just a few months ago 😅. This isn't to say that the other POV's were bad, but Darrow definitely took the centerstage and the book was all the better for it.

This book also had many heartwarming and heartwrenching moments which hit so hard. And the ending...heartbreaking. Pierce Brown got everything right with this one. A great story which takes Red Rising back to its roots and sets up Red God to be an absolute banger. This is my new favourite in the Red Rising saga and one of the best books I've ever read. While I didn't have to wait for this book after Dark Age, I'm sure whoever did will be left satisfied (and emotionally wrecked) after reading it. It's just that good.

Spoiler

What an arc Cassius had. The scene when Darrow calls him his brother almost brought me to tears. I was in denial about his death for a long time. I still can't believe he died. Fuck Lysander.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

adventurous funny tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

This was a great read. The first person narrative was executed pretty well along with the flashbacks interspersed throughout. The concept of the book was very intriguing and while a lot of the science went over my head, I think the author did a great job of keeping a balance between the science and the general story. The characters and the humour was also great

Spoiler

(Rocky is the best)

 Top it off with a heartwarming ending, what's not to like? Apart from a few pacing issues, Project Hail Mary was a pretty enjoyable, fun, and heartfelt science-fiction book.

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

The fifth book in the Red Rising series, Dark Age aptly lived up to its name, featuring some of the most dark and gruesome moments of the whole series. It felt like whenever something started to go right for our characters, it all came crashing down and went horribly wrong. While the book might be difficult to get through for some people, I had read/watched some reviews and I was prepared for it.
After taking some time to get invested into a couple of POVs in Iron Gold, I felt like they really shined in this book. Also, the addition of Virginia/Mustang's POVs was a surprise, but a welcome one as it provided a great look at the workings of the Senate and what's going on behind the scenes. A great thing about the book was that even though it was a chonker, it felt like there was never a dull moment, except maybe some of the Mercury part dragging a little bit. Not gonna lie, I felt a bit weary after finishing the book, because Pierce Brown packs SO MUCH into these 750 pages.  The only complaints I had were that I felt like one plot twist came out of nowhere and felt a bit forced,

Spoiler

(Dancer's sexuality)

and the battle in Part 1 dragged a little bit. There was also a plot twist which just felt a bit weird to me, even by Red Rising standards.

Spoiler

(the Jackal's clone)

Apart from that, Dark Age was yet another solid entry into the Red Rising series, and leaves me itching to read Light Bringer, considering the point this book leaves off on. 

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

adventurous dark emotional 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

This was a great start to the Red Rising sequel books. This book was a big shift from the previous books as this time we get multiple POVs instead of just Darrow's. I personally found some of the POVs a bit difficult to get into at the start of the book, but they grew on me as I progressed further through the book. I loved how the POVs showed us the effects of the Rising throughout the solar system. This book is set 10 years after Morning Star, and it shows as there are more mature themes throughout the book, especially with Darrow's storyline. This book is also relatively slower than the first trilogy which I saw some people complain about but wasn't a problem for me, perhaps as I took a break between the first trilogy and this which didn't make the change jarring. I did have a few complaints, the POV one which I mentioned and I didn't really like the path Darrow takes in this book as a couple of his actions don't feel like something he would do. Also, I kind-of predicted a plot twist at the end. Overall, Iron Gold was not on the level of something like Morning Star, but I thoroughly enjoyed the new direction of the Red Rising series and will be continuing with the sequel books.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolute masterpiece. Whether you agree with Orwell's opinions or not, the use of a fable to get your point across is genius.

Rhythm of War, Part Two by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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

5.0

(reviewing the whole book)

Now, Rhythm of War is personally my least favourite Stormlight book, but it's still absolutely amazing. 
The storylines of Kaladin, Shallan, Navani and Venli were so good. The mental health struggles of Kaladin and Shallan were explored so well, although I feel like Kaladin's struggles got too much at a certain point. Navani's arc in this book was at the level of any of the 'the big three'. Her studies and relationship with Raboniel was such a interesting dynamic. This was lowkey kind-of Navani's book. While I personally thought Venli's flashbacks were just okay, the end of her arc was satisfying. A certain flashback at the end hit me right in the feels. Also, the arc of Kaladin. His journey in this book and it's end...just so good. Dalinar is more of a side character in this book but I feel like it was justified after Oathbringer.
While I mostly loved this book, I felt like it had a bad slump in the middle. The pacing was just so slow and this book could have been shorter. Also, some of the science in this book was a chore to read, even though it was important. However, I feel like the Sanderlanche and ending of this book more than makes up for it.
This book also had some crazy Cosmere connections and well, the end of this book... let's just say I am eagerly awaiting Book 5.

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Pretty good 250 page "novella". I was particularly interested in a certain area of Roshar and this book focused on it, so that's great. The characters were great as well-Rysn, Nikli and obviously the Lopen. This book definitely provides some great lore for Roshar and the wider Cosmere.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

So good. I personally prefer this over Orient Express, but both are masterpieces.