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saraanneb3's reviews
615 reviews
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had to restart this twice, once bc I wasn't in a good head space for reading and another time bc the sheer amt of characters at first was confusing.
And listen it takes solidly 150 pages for this to stop being an infodump and move into really good story but when it does it REALLY DOES! I loved the shift and the revelation of additional layers of magic and history. And I liked that pieces and characters I thought the author had dropped, she picks them back up well.
If you're into Arthurian legend you'll find lots of fun stuff here, and as a Southerner I found her descriptions of southern white boys so accurate and funny they made me laugh every time, and I appreciated a fantasy being set in such a familiar setting for me (and somewhat unusual for a fantasy novel)
I'm docking a star for a couple of reasons: 1)there are some plot holes that get shoddily covered by Bree suddenly remembering she has been told stuff by other characters, and it's just not always plausible--honestly all it would take to fix is some character going "oh I don't have time to give you all the lore but here's a handy book on the basics" and then that would easily explain why Bree seems to know ALL this stuff that she otherwise shouldn't
2)the sheer pace of this story. I think they claim its 6 weeks but I really think the plot unfolds in ab 3 weeks and suddenly Bree is like devoted and devastated over these ppl that she's known for half a minute. I would've loved a little more lead time and world/relationship building, before the high emotion events
But otherwise very good interesting take on Arthurian legend and ancestral faith and connection, and magic and fantasy!
And listen it takes solidly 150 pages for this to stop being an infodump and move into really good story but when it does it REALLY DOES! I loved the shift and the revelation of additional layers of magic and history. And I liked that pieces and characters I thought the author had dropped, she picks them back up well.
If you're into Arthurian legend you'll find lots of fun stuff here, and as a Southerner I found her descriptions of southern white boys so accurate and funny they made me laugh every time, and I appreciated a fantasy being set in such a familiar setting for me (and somewhat unusual for a fantasy novel)
I'm docking a star for a couple of reasons: 1)there are some plot holes that get shoddily covered by Bree suddenly remembering she has been told stuff by other characters, and it's just not always plausible--honestly all it would take to fix is some character going "oh I don't have time to give you all the lore but here's a handy book on the basics" and then that would easily explain why Bree seems to know ALL this stuff that she otherwise shouldn't
2)the sheer pace of this story. I think they claim its 6 weeks but I really think the plot unfolds in ab 3 weeks and suddenly Bree is like devoted and devastated over these ppl that she's known for half a minute. I would've loved a little more lead time and world/relationship building, before the high emotion events
But otherwise very good interesting take on Arthurian legend and ancestral faith and connection, and magic and fantasy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse
The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Finally finished even though it was such a slog and even though this is apparently the shortest one
It got easier once I realized that Paige is Harry Potter. She's a main character who thinks she's smart and she isn't. She makes astonishingly stupid choices.
Also if she mentions her curls one more damn time I'm gonna scream.
I keep waiting for this to be the amazing series everybody says it is and for it to be as good as her other series. It's just not, on both counts.
It got easier once I realized that Paige is Harry Potter. She's a main character who thinks she's smart and she isn't. She makes astonishingly stupid choices.
Also if she mentions her curls one more damn time I'm gonna scream.
I keep waiting for this to be the amazing series everybody says it is and for it to be as good as her other series. It's just not, on both counts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm giving it a 3 bc I know it's part of a longer series and maybe the rest of it will make this book seem better in hindsight. I love samantha shannon's writing but even so I was ready for this book to end. I need Paige to be a less stupid character and I feel like even the author forgot about a bunch of characters even though it was "Paige had forgotten" like I think the author literally lost her plot for some characters.
Also every single conversation and experience is so freighted with meaning that it becomes exhausting. Halfway through I was like "just be criminals, quit trying to justify yourselves!"
Also I do not like that she seems to drawing a false equivalency between Scion/Rephs and the syndicate/underworld, as if they are *equally* evil. Even in a fantasy dystopian version of London, that is a logical fallacy and it made it hard for me to read the book.
I'm doing this as part of a read along so we'll see if subsequent books change my opinion, but for now it stands.
Also every single conversation and experience is so freighted with meaning that it becomes exhausting. Halfway through I was like "just be criminals, quit trying to justify yourselves!"
Also I do not like that she seems to drawing a false equivalency between Scion/Rephs and the syndicate/underworld, as if they are *equally* evil. Even in a fantasy dystopian version of London, that is a logical fallacy and it made it hard for me to read the book.
I'm doing this as part of a read along so we'll see if subsequent books change my opinion, but for now it stands.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was SO GOOD!
I'm not a camp person, not outdoorsy and I don't normally like mysteries but I was SO INTO this book!
It's not really about solving a mystery, though, it's about secrets and power dynamics and feeling trapped and wealth vs poverty, all told through the connections of this community surrounding a summer camp owned by a secretive and wealthy family.
Definitely a tense read at times and CW for harm to children and intimate partner violence. It is all masterfully written though and I found the end very satisfying in a bittersweet way
I'm not a camp person, not outdoorsy and I don't normally like mysteries but I was SO INTO this book!
It's not really about solving a mystery, though, it's about secrets and power dynamics and feeling trapped and wealth vs poverty, all told through the connections of this community surrounding a summer camp owned by a secretive and wealthy family.
Definitely a tense read at times and CW for harm to children and intimate partner violence. It is all masterfully written though and I found the end very satisfying in a bittersweet way
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Andrew Pham writes beautifully and evocatively about the scenery and food of Vietnam, it was so vivid. What he doesn't write well is dialogue and character development which is a problem when you're writing a novel, not a travel blog or a food review. I was desperate for this book to end because the characters are so one dimensional and the dialogue is so stilted and faintly ridiculous.
I read an old interview with him which indicated that he doesn't much like editorial guidance and you can tell--this def needed more editorial guidance plot-wise and character-wise. Also he totally missed that Coi should've been the main character, not Tuyet.
I did appreciate the history and the story of a period, generally, and in Vietnam's history, that gets overlooked, of the transition after World War II but before the Americans invade, I just wish the overall story of that time and its people had been better executed than this
I read an old interview with him which indicated that he doesn't much like editorial guidance and you can tell--this def needed more editorial guidance plot-wise and character-wise. Also he totally missed that Coi should've been the main character, not Tuyet.
I did appreciate the history and the story of a period, generally, and in Vietnam's history, that gets overlooked, of the transition after World War II but before the Americans invade, I just wish the overall story of that time and its people had been better executed than this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Rape, and Torture
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is really beautiful writing and evocative. I wish the characters had been more developed and their relationships more detailed--it was hard to feel sorrow over the loss of characters' connections because they didn't feel very connected. I did really like all the sly references to scripture, and appreciated the author's personal experience of being raised in the church coming to life on the page, and how that shapes a person.
I would have liked a lot more of thomas' life and a lot of less of grace macaulay but what we got of Thomas was really lovely
I would have liked a lot more of thomas' life and a lot of less of grace macaulay but what we got of Thomas was really lovely
Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
Really fascinating and lots of interesting info about Jane Austen herself, her family and the society around her!
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There's not a lot to the actual story and the characters aren't super developed, but I found it an intriguing book and definitely propelled me to learn more about Iran. I appreciated the nuance she gives to Iran's political situation under the Shah and after the Islamic revolution and the plot is not as predictable as I thought it would be, there were definitely some surprises and twists.
Also all the food sounds delicious!
Also all the food sounds delicious!
The Wrath & the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
So good!! If you like the Grisha books and/or the Daevabad trilogy, you will like this!