whatsmacksaid's reviews
1260 reviews

Lost Ark Dreaming by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

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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

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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

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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

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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

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dark emotional slow-paced

3.75

Very slow, but I relished the ending.
The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

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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.
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My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

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dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

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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
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Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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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.
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A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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