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amandasbrews's Reviews (458)
This book has some amazing redeeming qualities, but the best part about it is the small moments. I just.... I was confused as to what was happening because there was a bit too much and they didn't relate in a compelling way (personally). I think it could be a great book for a lot of people, just not for me.
Reasons not to take off your TBR even though I didn't finish:
- great representation of Black youth
- sweet found family in the sweet sisterhood
- sirens and mermaids and gargoyles are super cool
- history of siren trials? compared to the Salem witch trials? but of Black folk? honestly a super interesting concept for the author to play with
Reasons not to take off your TBR even though I didn't finish:
- great representation of Black youth
- sweet found family in the sweet sisterhood
- sirens and mermaids and gargoyles are super cool
- history of siren trials? compared to the Salem witch trials? but of Black folk? honestly a super interesting concept for the author to play with
4 weird, mildly creepy, magically wonderful stars
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this already. This book was one that really has stuck with me for a while since I read it almost 2 months ago.
The Seep was one of the highlights of my end of year reads. In the moment, I definitely enjoyed the book, but what really makes me love this book is the fact that it has stayed with me. Since I've read it, I've thought about this book, or even referenced it quite a few times.
It's hard to say anything without giving the entire book away, because it is not full of twists and turns. Rather, it is full of harrowing moments of pure humanity. It questions what we think of as love. It begs us to think about what it means to be who we are, together, as humans. It was heartbreaking, hopeful, weird, interesting, and wonderful. In exactly the same way life is.
Big Takeaway: SFF/speculative fiction really shines when they are able to take a fantastical element (or a lot of them) and use it to really put a spotlight on humanity. The Seep does a fantastic job of that.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this already. This book was one that really has stuck with me for a while since I read it almost 2 months ago.
The Seep was one of the highlights of my end of year reads. In the moment, I definitely enjoyed the book, but what really makes me love this book is the fact that it has stayed with me. Since I've read it, I've thought about this book, or even referenced it quite a few times.
It's hard to say anything without giving the entire book away, because it is not full of twists and turns. Rather, it is full of harrowing moments of pure humanity. It questions what we think of as love. It begs us to think about what it means to be who we are, together, as humans. It was heartbreaking, hopeful, weird, interesting, and wonderful. In exactly the same way life is.
Big Takeaway: SFF/speculative fiction really shines when they are able to take a fantastical element (or a lot of them) and use it to really put a spotlight on humanity. The Seep does a fantastic job of that.
Incredible world building and characters. Read my full review here!!! Plus, take a look at the aesthetic board I did for this one. :)
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The Wolf of Oren Yaro is an incredible, character driven fantasy, that will have you on your toes with the twists and turns. Kay Villoso has written such relatable and human characters, you will be immersed into the story immediately.
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Here's a review preview:
The Wolf of Oren Yaro is an incredible, character driven fantasy, that will have you on your toes with the twists and turns. Kay Villoso has written such relatable and human characters, you will be immersed into the story immediately.
Bookish Brews | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr
The Dragon Republic was a great follow up to the Poppy War! The book starts immediately with a lot of action, and continues on with a really fast paced story. R.F. Kuang has a way with words that makes you feel so much emotion in very few words Her words are very succinct and cut right to the heart.
This installment was much less gruesome than the first book (or maybe I was intentionally dulling my senses toward it because I'm still a bit scarred from in book one.) Though it still had the heavy topics that I expected with drug addiction, attempted suicide, self harm, etc.
Rin is such an infuriating character sometimes, but I found myself liking her so much more in this book. My favorite part was how Kuang did such a great job with keeping her characterization
This installment was much less gruesome than the first book (or maybe I was intentionally dulling my senses toward it because I'm still a bit scarred from
Spoiler
Venka explaining what happened to herRin is such an infuriating character sometimes, but I found myself liking her so much more in this book. My favorite part was how Kuang did such a great job with keeping her characterization
Spoiler
heavy and troubled, but through that, reminding us that Rin is really just a kid. It's something we forget, but through her trauma and struggles, we see moments of her lost childhood coming through. Something we've known about her from the very beginning, but I loved the portrayal in this book.
Expectedly, this book is incredible. Check out my full review here!! ✨
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Charming, delightful, sweet, magical, beautiful, light and powerful
I absolutely loved Elatsoe. I was really fortunate to be able to read (almost all of) this before submitting my vote for the IGNYTE Awards. This story completely charmed me right from the beginning. It is light and powerful all at the same time, truly something to be proud of. I knew this book would be good, but I didn’t realize quite how much I’d fall in love with it.
Quick Summary: Elatsoe, or Ellie, lives in a world very similar to our own, but much more heavily ruled and shaped by magic. Passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family, Elatsoe has the power to raise the spirits of dead animals, and is always accompanied by her loyal ghost dog, Kirby. Just after she hears her cousin has died in a car accident, he comes to her in her dreams and tells her that there is more to his death than it appears. Ellie and her father immediately set off on a quest to see if they can uncover some of the secrets. Keep Reading...
I received this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily
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Here's a preview:
Charming, delightful, sweet, magical, beautiful, light and powerful
I absolutely loved Elatsoe. I was really fortunate to be able to read (almost all of) this before submitting my vote for the IGNYTE Awards. This story completely charmed me right from the beginning. It is light and powerful all at the same time, truly something to be proud of. I knew this book would be good, but I didn’t realize quite how much I’d fall in love with it.
Quick Summary: Elatsoe, or Ellie, lives in a world very similar to our own, but much more heavily ruled and shaped by magic. Passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family, Elatsoe has the power to raise the spirits of dead animals, and is always accompanied by her loyal ghost dog, Kirby. Just after she hears her cousin has died in a car accident, he comes to her in her dreams and tells her that there is more to his death than it appears. Ellie and her father immediately set off on a quest to see if they can uncover some of the secrets. Keep Reading...
I received this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily
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We Lost the Sky was a wonderfully calm (for a post apocalyptic tale), curiously adventurous, and delightfully interesting. I applaud the pacing of the book, I felt like every event was placed at just the right time, and the characters met up at equal intervals along the plot. I absolutely adored how it was put together.
All of the characters were delightful, and the way that they all came together was great! I loved how Mender and Renn found each other right off the bat. I loved how Marie Howalt was able to create a different tone in each of the characters perspectives. I especially enjoyed the development of Mender. As Mender developed as a character, the tone in nir chapters became more smooth, essentially becoming more humanized. Definitely a fun touch!
I also really liked the idea that in some distant future we would be driven away from technology, but still have relics of our old (but more advanced than present day) technology. How interesting!
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I just adored the ending so much that it made me actually feel so content that I had to bump it up. It tied it all together so well that I just appreciated it immensely more. This was a light and delightful read, and I am actually quite excited to see what is in store for the characters that I came to adore in the next installment.
Amazing work, Marie Howalt. I'm definitely impressed. I'm eager to read the next one, but content with how it ended. Absolutely admirable.
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
All of the characters were delightful, and the way that they all came together was great! I loved how Mender and Renn found each other right off the bat. I loved how Marie Howalt was able to create a different tone in each of the characters perspectives. I especially enjoyed the development of Mender. As Mender developed as a character, the tone in nir chapters became more smooth, essentially becoming more humanized. Definitely a fun touch!
I also really liked the idea that in some distant future we would be driven away from technology, but still have relics of our old (but more advanced than present day) technology. How interesting!
I was going to give this book 4 stars, but I just adored the ending so much that it made me actually feel so content that I had to bump it up. It tied it all together so well that I just appreciated it immensely more. This was a light and delightful read, and I am actually quite excited to see what is in store for the characters that I came to adore in the next installment.
Amazing work, Marie Howalt. I'm definitely impressed. I'm eager to read the next one, but content with how it ended. Absolutely admirable.
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Editing to say congrats to Yaroslav Barsukov for being a NEBULA FINALIST!!!! That is so amazing!! Congrats!!!!
Tower of Mud and Straw was an excellent story. I really loved the idea of a mysterious tower, and the even more mysterious Mimic Tower. The story manages to build complex characters, give you the right amount of detail for a little bit of a mysterious world building (that fits with the tone), and create a sense of wonder that makes you keep reading.
Heartbeat.
#
Throughout reading this novella I, along with Shae, I felt myself having trust issues with the characters, not knowing who was hiding something and who was telling the truth. What was real and what was a superstition/legend? It builds up the world to be believable enough that when the fantastical starts to happen, you almost wonder if this could really be happening (which is in contrast to many fantasy novels that are so fantastical, you can't forget that it's an entirely different world).
Heartbeat.
#
I also loved the connection between Lena, Shae's sister, and Lena at the tower. How they blended together to the readerr and to Shae, just as the reader is also questioning what/who to believe. It was definitely interesting, and added to Shae's depth.
Heartbeat.
#
Overall, It was a fun novella with a perfect amount of mystery. I do wonder why this tower is being built in the first place, and what the Duke's motivations are. They never seem to be entirely clear, but perhaps that is part of the magic.
Heartbeat.
#
(Also, this heartbeat section felt like a movie, which is why I replicated it here. I could SEE the cinematography in action. Definitely a fun moment!)
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Tower of Mud and Straw was an excellent story. I really loved the idea of a mysterious tower, and the even more mysterious Mimic Tower. The story manages to build complex characters, give you the right amount of detail for a little bit of a mysterious world building (that fits with the tone), and create a sense of wonder that makes you keep reading.
Heartbeat.
#
Throughout reading this novella I, along with Shae, I felt myself having trust issues with the characters, not knowing who was hiding something and who was telling the truth. What was real and what was a superstition/legend? It builds up the world to be believable enough that when the fantastical starts to happen, you almost wonder if this could really be happening (which is in contrast to many fantasy novels that are so fantastical, you can't forget that it's an entirely different world).
Heartbeat.
#
I also loved the connection between Lena, Shae's sister, and Lena at the tower. How they blended together to the readerr and to Shae, just as the reader is also questioning what/who to believe. It was definitely interesting, and added to Shae's depth.
Heartbeat.
#
Overall, It was a fun novella with a perfect amount of mystery. I do wonder why this tower is being built in the first place, and what the Duke's motivations are. They never seem to be entirely clear, but perhaps that is part of the magic.
Heartbeat.
#
(Also, this heartbeat section felt like a movie, which is why I replicated it here. I could SEE the cinematography in action. Definitely a fun moment!)
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 100, January 2015
Neil Clarke, Neil Clarke, Aliette de Bodard, Tang Fei
Cat Pictures Please was a refreshing short story of a benevolent AI who managed to both steal my heart and make me mildly creeped out by how much information we put online. It had a refreshing whimsical tone and a unique voice. How often do we get to read stories about benevolent AI?
I've finally reveiewed this masterpiece. Read the full review HERE!!
Legendborn is incredible, and it is important. It is a story based on Arthurian Legend, with some major dark academia vibes thrown in that tackles so many important topics, but doesn't forget to take you on an adventure that will make you laugh.
Legendborn is incredible, and it is important. It is a story based on Arthurian Legend, with some major dark academia vibes thrown in that tackles so many important topics, but doesn't forget to take you on an adventure that will make you laugh.