whatsmacksaid's reviews
1251 reviews

The Bell in the Fog by Lev AC Rosen

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

These aren't necessarily my usual fair, but they're still great. And this one was a really excellent sequel.

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Go to review page

hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes

3.0

I really enjoyed the first part, but there's a huge tonal shift at the halfway mark and I had trouble leaning into it.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Mixed feelings about this one. When it was good, it was *great,* but I struggled to stay interested through a lot of it.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

An absolute pleasure to read. Looking forward to the next book!

Crowned by the Fae King by Mallory Dunlin

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

The emotional arc is a little uneven, but I loved the morally gray FMC and her cinnamon roll (but still badass) hero. There's sweetness, adventure, and angst, but even better, something about Quyen and Cass' journey settled something in me. I've spent the last several months reading at a breakneck speed and unable to slow down, but for whatever reason, I found I could take my time with "Crowned by the Fae King." It's like the opposite of a book hangover. And I'm not sure how Dunlin pulled it off, but I got to savor the story.

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

Go to review page

dark emotional slow-paced

3.75

Very slow, but I relished the ending.

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

Go to review page

medium-paced

Loveable characters? No

3.0

Very mixed feelings about this one, and not just because the marketing is so off--this is definitely PNR/urban fantasy, not romantasy. The end of the story sort of shoves itself into something closer to romantasy, but I'm still pretty sure it's because PNR/UF are out of favor and romantasy is not.

The writing was mediocre, with mixed metaphors (closing the page on a book, etc.) and the sense that several of the main characters are not as smart as they want us to think they are. But the last hundred pages or so picked up quite a bit. Not sure if I'll read the next book or not, but if I do it'll be through the library.

Content Warnings

My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

Go to review page

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

Content Warnings

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

Go to review page

dark hopeful mysterious slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

A little uneven--the beginning and climax didn't quite live up to the rest of the story--but still plenty enjoyable.

Content Warnings