sashascosyreads's reviews
166 reviews

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Reading this felt like a fairy tale for adults. It was a really immersive and cosy story I just absorbed.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

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? No

4.0

This was the first time I've read this book in English rather than original. It's still good but I had to look up a few things I wasn't sure of translations.
And I really don't like Dandilion's name in this - it's Jaskier and always will be to me.

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

mysterious tense medium-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

3.25

I think this book was incorrectly advertised to me. I was told this was a cosy story about witches running a B&B with a murder that happens there. But there would be magic and stuff.
It did give me Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Practical Magic vibes in the first few chapters, but then... it was just a murder mystery where the main character just happened to be a witch. Not enough magic for me.

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

challenging dark 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? No

3.0

I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first book. This one felt more like Ione's story rather than continuation of Elspeth's. I understand why it needed to be done this way to explain the ending but this probably could have been extra 100-200 pages in the original book, a standalone rather than a duology. It felt unnecessarily dragged out.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

dark

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

2.0

It was bearable until the cat died.

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.0

As always, the last 200 pages keep you on your toes. I cried all the way through the last 50 pages.

I really enjoyed the crossover between universes.

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? No

5.0

The Devil You Know by Mike Carey

adventurous dark 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? No

5.0

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

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

2.0

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. clThe characters fel stiff, the way the story was described was as if someone was just narrating a history book only aiming to give facts, but not evoke any emotions whatsoever. So many characters died and it never seemed to bring any emotions to anyone. It made it hard to care for the characters.

The story felt fragmented, not flowing smoothly.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

Elspeth! She better!... or else!
This book has definitely lived up to the hype and more. The magic system is unlike anything I've ever read and the 'everything has price' motif is one of my favourites in novels.
I've taken half a star off because it does read a little bit like YA despite FMC being 20 years old. I'd have preferred it written in the style of high fantasy.