alyssamae's reviews
96 reviews

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad slow-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

4.25

This masterpiece of a series is so intricately written. The whole world of green bones will forever have a place in my heart. This is such an amazing series; the characters fully resonated with me. When they felt sad, angry or happy, I felt the same. This series is filled with so much that it felt so real, I am sad to be finishing. The character growth was the best thing I’ve ever read: Hilo from a young vengeful kid to a smart, calculating wartime Pillar, Shae who barely knew what part to play in her family’s story, and Anden trying to find his place outside of the clan. I can’t forget about Wen either, but she was a badass throughout the trilogy. The Maik brothers and their unwavering faith and trust.. I will miss every single character!! My only wish for this series is more background on Jaya, we learnt a lot about Ru & Niko from their short chapters but I feel like I barely knew Jaya. Thank you Fonda Lee 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ 

Jade War by Fonda Lee

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.25

expands heavily on the international politics of the clan which can get a bit long sometimes but it’s quite interesting as it does mix in character story as well. i really enjoyed the character arcs in this story, they were all so much more fleshed out and showcased a bit more of the morally grey sides of the characters. sad to be finishing the series soon! :( 

Jade City by Fonda Lee

adventurous mysterious medium-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

4.0

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

adventurous dark funny 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

3.5

hmmm… idk it was good. hard to get into but i kept reading and i was enjoying it but i feel like i still don’t really get it? scriving is very complicated and it’s explained but the book tosses so much information at you about the magic whilst also building on the plot of this incredible heist and it feels like there was no balance between the two. the merchant houses are big and powerful; why? what makes these houses so special? they work together to destroy other houses but why? women can’t scrive professionally.. why? maybe i just didn’t take everything in properly or perhaps it becomes more explained in the next books. however, it felt like the book was so long, yet i still feel confused on certain things. the place is supposedly lawless, yet there are ‘unspoken’ laws, and if you cross them you get punished.. so they do have laws then? they also have a judiciary system, though flawed, it still exists? not sure if i will pick up the other books. i enjoyed the characters a lot, but the magic system felt convoluted - there is definitely an idea there but it doesn’t feel fully fleshed out yet, and when it is explained, it just seems even more confusing..


also..

if gregor was scrived this whole time, how did clef not notice?

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-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

3.0

i never really felt fully invested in the series. i thoroughly enjoyed the 1st book but the series as a whole was not particularly captivating. 

i think the writing style, specifically in this book, did not help me feel connected in any way and was a bit disorienting. everything is explained in such excruciating detail yet feels barely explained at all which made reading the book quite dull at some points.  i decided to skip a lot of pages that i deemed unnecessarily filled with text & commentary just so i didn’t give up on the book completely.

however, i did find the ending to be quite fitting, and it was nice to know about the back story of the stone eaters (even if it was a bit of a long story). though that might’ve been bcoz i really liked hoa..

i might re-read when i have more time because i wasn’t fully attentive originally & left long gaps between reads; this will hopefully help me to fully appreciate and understand the story and world.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark 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

4.25

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

4.0

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

3.0

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.0

makes u think a lot - where are they? what happened? what is time? what does it mean to be a human being? i really enjoyed it. some parts near the end of the book detailing her explore were a bit long and over explained as it becomes habitual but it was still entertaining. 

What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

light-hearted & easy to read, but an inspiring message and a heartwarming tone. i loved every short story.