sophiaxscherm's reviews
56 reviews

Masters of Death by Olivie Blake

adventurous challenging emotional funny 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

4.5

Ok where do I start? I really really enjoyed this book and I did not expect to do so after I finished Blakes' Atlas Series this year and it was awful. I feel like what is written on the back of the book describes it only vaguely and the content is much better.

After reading the summary on the back I somehow thought it was about Fox and Vi finding each other and ending up together. While reading it, I really hoped it would not turn out that these two are endgame and I am so fucking glad that they are not because they don't even deal with each other that much and their personal storylines are rather separate from one another but again, I feel like the book summary suggested otherwise.

It's interesting because at the beginning I did not really like the characters but it was rather entertaining and funny because they were all somewhat annoyed of each other but as the story goes on you grow more and more fun of all of them. The throwback chapters especially of Fox and Brandt I think I loved the most, they were just sooo good and I love those guys so much (even though I hated Fox in the beginning because like he was obviously exploiting women's vulnerability for sex). Olivie's writing is a bit tough sometimes and could you more puncutation and less parentheses but it was still not as bad as in the last two Atlas books. I had a tough time understanding the game itself and how all of the different stories are connected to one another (and I'm still not sure if I understand all of it now) but I somehow didn't mind it that much in this book. Overall I was positively surprised by this book and did not think Olivie Blake would be able to have written my least favorite book of the year as well as one of my favourites. 

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book and even though I never felt like I was so into it that I couldn't put it down, there aren't many things I can point out which I didn't like. I think it might have gotten an even better rating if I read it again at a different time because it took me quite a while to finish it so I never was fully immersed in the story and I quickly got confused about all the people from the different houses. I think I would have liked it more if we would have gotten more stories from the houses and what they're doing to get a better picture of everything and especially of how Lethe is connected to all their doings. I'm also not sure how I feel about the murder mystery and how it was solved in the end because I feel like it was a bit to predictable that the first assumed murderer wasn't the actual murderer and so on.
However I loved any kinds of flashbacks in the book, whether it's about Alex' past or Darlington's point of view when getting to know Alex. I somehow looooved the entire bridegroom story,

especially when Alex sees what happened the day of the assumed murder suicide, I think this chapter is one of the best things I ever read and I loved all Alex' theories of how what happened could be connected to the houses (like that it could have to do with Skull and Bones and one of their prognostications).

I loved the setting and the overall vibe of the book. Also, the way it shows the issue of social class without being too on the nose with it was really nice, however I feel like it could have gone even deeper with that.
All in all I have a few things I disliked but overall enjoyed it a lot.

Das unsichtbare Leben der Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

It's a very beautifully written story that I enjoyed for the most part but was rather lengthy and not that exciting mostly.
The first third or so would have gotten a better ranking from me. I love the world building in the beginning and in all the different times we get to follow Addie in. I enjoyed to see the contrast between her getting to know her new life in the past and then her story in the present time. At one point I remember thinking that if it continues to be like that it might get boring regarding how much of the book was still left but then we meet Henry and things start to get exciting again. 

The beginning of their story had me hooked. However, I soon lost interest in their live story because I feel like it lacked substance since everything happened so fast. It was nice to have Henry's perspective in there as well but I thought the rest of their story together was boring. I also feel like that everything with Luc did not go deep enough. Their time together and their falling out felt all so rushed, I couldn't really grow attached to any relationship of hers. Also I think I would have enjoyed it more to keep following Addies adventures in different time epochs with more focus on what the times were like and how life was like. Since I did not really care about Henry and it didn't go into depth enough with Luc, I don't really know how I feel about the ending. Like it was kind of to be expected that she gives up to save Henry but the emotions didn't catch on for me. But I like that she only did it not to be with Luc but rather to start a new game and to try to make him hate her.

I still think it was a cute story with very good world building and a lovely setting.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Sexual assault

The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

1.25

I don't know what that even was. I really hate that I didn't like it because I loved the first one, the second one was meh and I really hoped the last one would be better but unfortunately not. I don't really think that at any point I knew what was going on, at first I though it was because I couldn't remember what happened before as much but as it turns out the writing is just not really good here so I have no clue what was even happening in this book. It's so sad because I thought the idea, the setting, the different characters (and how well you get to know them in the first one) is just so good and then it just goes to waste. 
I also feel like it's so pseudo-philosophical. Like, it really could have been because the theme is there but it's just not executed well and doesn't catch you like it should.

The only things I actually enjoyed were the messages between Tristan and Callum, they were so much fun and in general I enjoyed it when the writing was taking on different styles, like when the reader was directly addressed via a book club guide and things like that. You'd think it might be weird but I feel like those parts were actually good. I also loved the Gideon and Nico story but I feel like it was a bit rushed. 
I really fucking hated the writing style. Like already mentioned, I never knew what was going on and the mood of situations wasn't conveyed very well in my opinion. There's this chapter of Parisa and Dalton in the hotel or whatever where she somehow realites that Dalton is very fucked and dangerous so she runs away but like?? It did not come across AT ALL why she suddenly feels liks that and why we as readers should be concerned as well. This chapter where Libby and Nico nearly hooked up had me SCREAMING on the inside, I'm so glad she did not make anything happen between the two because like what would this have been? An enemies to lovers arc for two academic rivals that we all know never really were rivals and cared for each other
 If they had hooked up I would have burned the fucking book. The chapters of the Ezra Six were mainly just useless. I also have no clue what Reina's plot was after Callum left, what Atlas' plan actually was, what the whole big experiment was all about especially since it was such a build up and then Libby just stops it. Literally nothing makes any sense.

Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.75

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

1.75

I had such high hopes for this book and really wanted to like it but unfortunately I was disappointed. I really like the idea of the story and when it was about the story, I enjoyed it, even though I never felt like it was really catching and exciting. However, most of the first half are just monologues, mainly by Lord Henry about how he knows everything and just him being a sexist dick. At first, I liked the philosophical monologues but after a while it gets annoying and just doesn't add to the story in my opinion. The second half was a bit more interesting as it focused a little more on the story but still wasn't very exciting. It's so sad because, like I already said, I think it's a great story and I think the most interesting part would have been to see Dorian become this monster, however, we sadly don't really get to see the way there which would have been the best part, instead we get a 20 pages chapter that serves as a fast-forward chapter which only describes in a monologue-style what Dorian did for like a decade, which was so boring that I was really close to just skipping it entirely. Unfortunately, I was very let down.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I really liked the change in writing and to be able to read chapters from different perspectices, not just Feyre. I also think this was a good way to get more insight into all the people of the inner circle and helped character building a lot. I feel like having duch chapters here and there in the earlier books would have been nice too.
Nesta is a very difficult character and i get why she might be perceived as very annoying in this book. If we got more chapters from her perspective, it might help understand her, what she's been through and the state she is in better and one might feel for her more. This way, however, she seems like the asshole sister that won't talk to anyone not even her sisters even though they have all been through a lot and it's not just her that has to deal with everything that has happened.
Overall I still enjoyed it and I liked the vibe. There obviously isn't happening much but, like I already said, I enjoy the character building that is going on in this book.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Would have gotten 5 stars if I didn't have to cringe at terms such as "male smile" among others from time to time

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75