shawnthulhu's reviews
185 reviews

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.75

I love Lily Mayne. I love this world and these characters. This one was a silly one. I love how low stakes it was and I love how Ms. Mayne is not afraid to just get silly. Rafe and Dan are just so cute. Amazing. Wonderful.

The Flowered Blade by Taylor Hubbard

Go to review page

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.75

I really, really, really wanted to like this book.

First of all, I am a transman and I was very, very excited to see a romance book that featured a trans main character. That being said, there were a few things that I wished were handled a little differently. First of all, I wish there would have been a trigger warning about what terms were going to be used when describing Silvyr's genitals (disphoria, unfortunately). It really really threw me off in a bad sort of way when feminine terms exclusively were used. It's not a bad thing, but I feel like I would have been better prepared, and the saving grace here is that the book isn't written in First person. I also feel like it was a missed opportunity to not have characters react to Silvyer's transness. I know the fantasy part is that it can just be an accepted thing, but it wasn't really clear of it was a secret thing or not and it left me confused when there was no reaction to it with some characters and some reaction with others. I also feel like the book could have been 100 pages shorter and had too much filler with Silvyer's inner dialog. He got a little too much with trying to find his footing.

There were also A LOT of grammatical errors. This books desperately needs another edit. Badly.

That being said, I did enjoy the book. It dragged REAL hard in the middle, but I liked the story it told. It's worth a read, but I probably won't ever read it again.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

Dalinar Fucking Kholin.

This book. This book! Ugh, what can I say about this book that hasn't already been said before. Dalinar is the GOAT. He has solidified himself as my favorite literary character of all time. Read the Stormlight Archives. You will not regret it.

Clean Finish by Lily Mayne

Go to review page

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

I knew I'd love this book. I love anything Lily Mayne has written and this was no exception. Larkin and Seb are so cute together. I love that their journey was so low stakes. And, mild spoiler, I loved that there was no big hurt feelings moment between the two of them. It was a hallmark romance in the best way possible. The spice was AMAZING. This series is so fun and cute and I love it. I look forward to the next one.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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? Yes

5.0

The audiobook made me love Mistborn even more. It was so good. If you are thinking about giving audiobooks a try, start with this one.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Go to review page

challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

It's hard to believe this book was written in the fifties... until you realize only three women existed lolol. Still, it's crazy how this stands the test of time. I really enjoyed it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced