strawhat_kd's reviews
74 reviews

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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

4.5

I was confused about what was going on for about half of this book. I feel like Tasmyn was very intentional in the decision to write it that way though because you have been dropped in the middle of mind bending puzzle. There's multiple POVs and time jumps ( highlighted in each chapter there is a jump thankfully). Be warned, one of the POVs is 2nd person. Again, this serves a purpose. As the book comes together, you understand the process and it makes for a intense read full of mystery and laughs. I enjoyed Gideon the Ninth because of the comical tone especially with Gideon's dialogue. The same dark vibe remains here and it helps ease the tension full of murder and mayhem in this necromantic world. 
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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

4.5

I was not prepared for the joy that this book brought me. The whole world set up in this book is dark, but the way the book is written, the dialogue and the characters are what makes it funny. There is a murder-mystery to figure out amongst everything that is going on, but I laughed so much at this book that I could not put it down. Whether it is the hilarious description of the characters, or even the banter itself, Tasmyn Muir has managed to craft a book that will have stressing the character's plight one minute and then laughing the next all while a corpse is nearby. The plot is not laid out plainly but you come to understand what it is going. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to Harrow the Ninth now.
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

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emotional lighthearted fast-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

4.25

Abby Jimenez knows how to write rom-coms. This is the fourth book of hers that I've read and I'm a fan. She has a way a writing these heartbreaking real life situations and putting them in a format this is digestible to read, and many times she is able to put a hilarous spin around the topic. It was no different here with The Friend Zone. I did find Kristen's (our FMC) decision making here a bit grating though. By the end of the book you get the reasoning, but for some reason here it felt like she was sending too many mixed signals, and for me, it was killing the vibe. Her decision making here felt contradictory to the way her character was set up. It was a minor irritation for me, that luckily doesn't ruin the book.bI certainly enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 
The Will of the Many by James Islington

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-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

5.0

This book is a blend of several different genres set in a magical Roman inspired world. We meet Vis who is set on revenge against the people that made him an orphan. From the onset, we know that there's more to Vis than is let on, but it is how Vis comes to fit into this world, and by extent the bigger story at play is where the book shines. We have elements of a spy thriller, academia and even supernatural horror weaved together. Thoroughly enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to book 2 whenever it may come. 
James by Percival Everett

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adventurous tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

James takes the story of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and flips in on it's head in this reimagining. Here we follow Jim and get his POV throughout. Many of the story beats are the same, but we see Jim's concerns, and the threats he faces for being a runaway slave at the time, and the crimes that he's being accused. But Jim is much more than a runaway slave and by the end of the book he's a  completely different character than the one that we are introduced to in the beginning of the book. This a darker take too. Check your trigger warnings because there is some pretty graphic content within these pages.
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

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hopeful medium-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

4.5

Addie LaRue is a young girl who makes a choice (a deal with the devil) and then has to live with that choice for the next 300 years. Throughout the time we see her fears, he heartbreak, her growth and more. It was really clever how Addie's story is told as we jump back and forth between her past experiences and the present. What I really loved about this story is how the details come together in the end. I don't want to give too many details away, but for a woman who no one remembers, she certainly hasa way of leaving her mark on the readers and the characters in the book.
The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe

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adventurous dark emotional 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

What a way to end the series. Everything we've seen and learned throughout the previous 2 books has its purpose and reasoning revealed here.Naira is going to go down as one of the top FMCS I've read. Her drive and will even in the face of impossible odds is amazing and she's one of those characters that makes everyone around her better. I enjoyed Tarquin 's growth here, because we got to see the man he realy is and it fits him well. Megan wrote this series in a way that even the parts that you may feel are slow, have significant placement in the story, and it's not Iong before we're moving through the plot at a break neck pace again. It's because of this couldn't put the series down and completed all 3 books in less than a week. If you're looking for a Sci-fi adventure with different elements introduced (horror, spy thriller, save the world) then this is the book, and the series for you.
The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O'Keefe

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

4.75

The Fractured Dark picks up shortly after the conclusion of The Blighted Stars. Just like it's predecessor the action picks up from the first few pages and continues to move at a break neck pace throughout. The tone of this is different too. Where The Blighted Stars had more of a horror feel to it, this feels more like a spy thriller. That change works well with the story. In certain moments, not knowing who can or cannot be trusted raises the intensity and is a big reason why I couldn't put this book down. The romance elements are still a little cheesy for me, but those moments are important to the story and certainly don't drag the book down. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the series and what major revelations will see the light.
The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Really strong opening book. The Blighted Stars blends several different styles together for a fast-paced sci-fi adventure that will keep you glued to the book chapter after chapter. The romance element that was introduced was a little cheesy, but it helps drives the story and it sets up bigger stakes for the rest of the books in the series. I really enjoyed how Megan was able to blend the different plot elements together for a cohesive story even with everything that's going on. The pacing was superb. It constantly felt like just when things were starting to calm down, something else would happen and the action would ramp up again. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the series.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

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

4.5

The Blade Itself is nothing like I thought it was going to be. Here we have a interesting story building in this first book of The First Law trilogy. We are introduced to the main characters, and what brings them together. The plot is building at an interesting pace and I'm hoping we learn more in the next book, Before They are Hanged. There is world building here and it's an interesting view of the world that we get because we have multiple POVs. One character's POV is hilariously twisted and I found myself laughing out loud several times. It was a great intro to the series and I'm looking forward to book 2. Steven Pacey narrates the audiobook and he's excellent.
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