tsunni's reviews
184 reviews

The Will of the Many by James Islington

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I'm hoppin on the hype train. Fantastically written. I think the comparisons to Red Rising is apt, but this is far better; better writing, better pacing, better characters, better plot, better "magic" and world. The length seemed intimidating at first but this did not feel like I was reading 700+ pages at all. The only criticism I might level was that Vis almost was too good, too lucky at everything; but none of it felt unearned. 

I only wish book 2 was out already!

The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I'm very torn on this. On one hand I think the story did a decent (though ham fisted) job going into some very real feminist issues that reflect both personal experience and stories I've heard from women of more traditional cultures, while also creating some overall sympathetic and likeable flawed characters as protagonists.

On the other hand the writing is definitely clunky, the characters lean toward blunt and one note in service of illustrating the aforementioned issues, and the magic system is lifted straight from Avatar; I was letting that go until the story dove into a subplot about water bending weaving that was also pulled directly from the same series. The whole arc of water weaving being learned was basically Katara's. That made me raise an eyebrow; there's derivative but this was closer to a straight copy.

Part of me wants to read part two to see how the good parts resolve, especially after a very abrupt cliffhanger. All the less desirable parts of the writing that come along with it is making me hesitate to continue.

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Enjoyable conclusion, wraps up nicely. I could probably critique how events happen rather conveniently when they need to move the plot along, but it's honestly not that kind of story. This is more of a good summer blockbuster and there's nothing wrong with that at all, I like it a lot. Fun, simple, engaging, and really likeable characters; a well crafted and uncomplicated fantasy.

Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find-and Keep-Love by Rachel S.F. Heller, Amir Levine

informative medium-paced

5.0

Really insightful, straightforward, and easy to understand, with practical exercises to directly apply the concepts to your own life. Absolutely worth one or more reads armed with highlighters and bookmarks.

Nimona by ND Stevenson

adventurous funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Fun, lighthearted, and quirky. Hoping for more Nimona in the future!

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Fun! A Gathering of Shadows centers mostly on a battle tournament and ends on a cliffhanger, setting up the final book of the trilogy. Kell and Lila return as pov characters along with some other surprise characters; I enjoyed both their chapters but especially Lila's as I love her excessive free spiritedness and the trouble she gets into.

Spoiler

I'd admit that I would put down the book and struggle to find motivation sometimes when Holland's chapters came up; I feel like it was a very tropey decision to bring him back, and it felt emotionally cheap after what happened in the last book.

The tournament and seeing (Lila especially) grow somewhat was nice to see, although there honestly was not as much true character growth as I would like. In general I feel like this was about as good as the first one; not especially challenging reading, not the deepest character motivations and arcs around for sure, but an enjoyable page turner.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 6 by Miya Kazuki

funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Enjoyable story with an interesting setting of multiple Londons in parallel worlds. Kell and (especially) Lila are fun characters that I want to keep reading about.

Everything -- plot, characters, magic system, setting -- feels somewhat empty and surface level? Plot happens and characters change, but there isn't much substance or body behind it. I checked storygraph after I finished, wondering if this was YA; it's not, but definitely feels like it leans in that direction.

Lost Connections: Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

Witch King by Martha Wells

mysterious tense medium-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? No

3.5

I'm a huge fan of Martha Wells and her writing, but I read through this entire book feeling like I was always on the verge of all the terminology, characters, and worldbuilding clicking together and they never quite did. I like the characters and the magic but the emotional beats never hit for me because I was too confused. Still, I liked it enough that I'm willing to give this another try in the future.