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ambzillius's reviews
300 reviews
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
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
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
🖤 R E V I E W 🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this so much, but the relationships between all of the characters were just 😘👌
I'm not usually one for Romantasy and also usually avoid the smut and head for the gore instead... but this had the perfect amount of both! Every other chapter was spicy and made you want more, but the scenes with the blood and gore were top-notch!!
Thankyou @books_and_boxes11 for lending me your edition, I now understand why you cannot wait for book 2!
If this ends up doing a Shadow & Bone I will be sorely disappointed. Let Thorne be the good guy, i desperately need this 😂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this so much, but the relationships between all of the characters were just 😘👌
I'm not usually one for Romantasy and also usually avoid the smut and head for the gore instead... but this had the perfect amount of both! Every other chapter was spicy and made you want more, but the scenes with the blood and gore were top-notch!!
Thankyou @books_and_boxes11 for lending me your edition, I now understand why you cannot wait for book 2!
If this ends up doing a Shadow & Bone I will be sorely disappointed. Let Thorne be the good guy, i desperately need this 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
Last Light by Chris Coppel
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4.0 ⭐
Last Light is a collection of short horror/paranormal stories that play with the mind and cover some very real problems in the world, some of which you may even see skirted around in the media - greedy rich entrepreneurs, AI becoming a threat, Virtual Reality and even Abuse.
Each story had an ending that rounded up the tale, and also kept you wanting more, so much so that as the reader, I could extend the story via imagination to come up with the conclusion of what would have happened next in the world, following the events that had been written.
Without giving too much away about these stories, the ones that left an impression were "Labour Shortage" and "Lasting Memories".
I have to say that "Labour Shortage" dealt with a VERY important message of misogyny & hinted towards r*pe culture, whilst "Lasting Memories" was a very positive ending, although I wouldn't have classed this as horror, it left me with a warm feeling, making it my favourite story in the collection. It really hammered home that people aren't always as they seem on paper or by their history.
There are some themes in this book that could be considered triggering, however the stories add a charm whereby you don't actually get explicitly told what the theme is, you just get a feel of it and you KNOW - maybe the scariest part of all is that we know these themes too well, so well that we see it in the writing without being told to look for it.
Thankyou NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.
#LastLight #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #review #books #reader #ChrisCoppel #cranthorpemillner
Last Light is a collection of short horror/paranormal stories that play with the mind and cover some very real problems in the world, some of which you may even see skirted around in the media - greedy rich entrepreneurs, AI becoming a threat, Virtual Reality and even Abuse.
Each story had an ending that rounded up the tale, and also kept you wanting more, so much so that as the reader, I could extend the story via imagination to come up with the conclusion of what would have happened next in the world, following the events that had been written.
Without giving too much away about these stories, the ones that left an impression were "Labour Shortage" and "Lasting Memories".
I have to say that "Labour Shortage" dealt with a VERY important message of misogyny & hinted towards r*pe culture, whilst "Lasting Memories" was a very positive ending, although I wouldn't have classed this as horror, it left me with a warm feeling, making it my favourite story in the collection. It really hammered home that people aren't always as they seem on paper or by their history.
There are some themes in this book that could be considered triggering, however the stories add a charm whereby you don't actually get explicitly told what the theme is, you just get a feel of it and you KNOW - maybe the scariest part of all is that we know these themes too well, so well that we see it in the writing without being told to look for it.
Thankyou NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.
#LastLight #NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #review #books #reader #ChrisCoppel #cranthorpemillner
Lamentation #1 by Cullen Bunn
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
BOOK REVIEW
3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
⚠️ MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ⚠️
Lamentation by Cullen Bunn is a Graphic Novel where our main character, Jennifer, responds to an advert to take part in a theatre production, however, all is not as it seems when she realises there is no way to leave!
I enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel but found the story to be rather confusing and non-linear in the way it was told. You can tell based on costume changes whether it is 'Real Life' or 'The Play' in most cases, but the switching isn't explained and it is like the character doesn't question it until the end, when it has been happening throughout.
I have given this a 3.5/5 because of the reason I had to go back and read this a few times to understand the plot and ideas, sometimes this is much harder to grasp through images than text alone and it may be unfair of me to rate this as such, but it just couldn't redeem more stars because of the difficulty I had.
I do enjoy gore, and whilsy quite tame, there were scenes that definitely sated what I was looking for in a horror.
I truly believe that making this into a longer series of graphic novels, which explored the mysticism a little more and didn't feel as rushed, would actually be fantastic and worth picking up. Coming to the conclusion in such a short time with no answers seemed like a waste to me personally!
Thankyou NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange or a review. All opinions are my own and should not reflect badly on this work as it is personal preference!
#Lamentation #CullenBunn #GraphicNovel #BookReview #Review #Bookstagram #Netgalley #Books
3.5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
⚠️ MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ⚠️
Lamentation by Cullen Bunn is a Graphic Novel where our main character, Jennifer, responds to an advert to take part in a theatre production, however, all is not as it seems when she realises there is no way to leave!
I enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel but found the story to be rather confusing and non-linear in the way it was told. You can tell based on costume changes whether it is 'Real Life' or 'The Play' in most cases, but the switching isn't explained and it is like the character doesn't question it until the end, when it has been happening throughout.
I have given this a 3.5/5 because of the reason I had to go back and read this a few times to understand the plot and ideas, sometimes this is much harder to grasp through images than text alone and it may be unfair of me to rate this as such, but it just couldn't redeem more stars because of the difficulty I had.
I do enjoy gore, and whilsy quite tame, there were scenes that definitely sated what I was looking for in a horror.
I truly believe that making this into a longer series of graphic novels, which explored the mysticism a little more and didn't feel as rushed, would actually be fantastic and worth picking up. Coming to the conclusion in such a short time with no answers seemed like a waste to me personally!
Thankyou NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange or a review. All opinions are my own and should not reflect badly on this work as it is personal preference!
#Lamentation #CullenBunn #GraphicNovel #BookReview #Review #Bookstagram #Netgalley #Books
A Mirage in the Memory by Simon Tull
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Review:
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Can he double down on his duty without losing the rest of his soul?
A Mirage In The Memory is a prequel book in The Slip Saga by Simon Tull. We follow our main character Thibault (Tibs) Allard through his quest to find his wife whom had been taken by the Virtual World that kept the immortals entertained.
This book is both Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and a Mystery. My favourite categories combined.
You would not realise this was a prequel novella if not for the length of the book, but Simon managed to make it read like a story of its own, buildiny the world and characters in such a great way, all whilst keeping the page count down! This most definitely excites me to continue the rest of The Slip Saga as the books release.
I was given such a nostalgic vibe to the movies I grew up watching, such as The Matrix & Daybreakers, the story reminding me of how those plots gripped me from the get go. It is truly magical when an Author can do just the same, inspiring the readers imagination to make a film reel of what they are reading.
I was hooked from the start, in particular these quotes spoke out to me...
"Memories etched wounds worse than any acid, scarring the mind with residues if reality... ...every recollection a potential of further corruption"
"Dangerous resurrecting a dead hope. Hope could scorch you to death faster than the sun's vees."
"There's only one thing that separates delusion from reality... ...Belief... ...believe hard enough, long enough, invest all of yourself into it, and you can make anything real."
I would recommend this to anyone who has read Mindwalker, albeit this story is a little darker!
Thankyou NetGalley for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.
Editorial Sidenote:
There were two instances of sentences not making sense where I believe words were entered the wrong way around or missed. I have included these in my review.
Chapter 5: why did even care? // [why did he even care]
Chapter 13: each laid been with precision // [each been laid with precision]
#bookreview #review #amirageinthememory #simontull #netgalley #books #bookstagram
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Can he double down on his duty without losing the rest of his soul?
A Mirage In The Memory is a prequel book in The Slip Saga by Simon Tull. We follow our main character Thibault (Tibs) Allard through his quest to find his wife whom had been taken by the Virtual World that kept the immortals entertained.
This book is both Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and a Mystery. My favourite categories combined.
You would not realise this was a prequel novella if not for the length of the book, but Simon managed to make it read like a story of its own, buildiny the world and characters in such a great way, all whilst keeping the page count down! This most definitely excites me to continue the rest of The Slip Saga as the books release.
I was given such a nostalgic vibe to the movies I grew up watching, such as The Matrix & Daybreakers, the story reminding me of how those plots gripped me from the get go. It is truly magical when an Author can do just the same, inspiring the readers imagination to make a film reel of what they are reading.
I was hooked from the start, in particular these quotes spoke out to me...
"Memories etched wounds worse than any acid, scarring the mind with residues if reality... ...every recollection a potential of further corruption"
"Dangerous resurrecting a dead hope. Hope could scorch you to death faster than the sun's vees."
"There's only one thing that separates delusion from reality... ...Belief... ...believe hard enough, long enough, invest all of yourself into it, and you can make anything real."
I would recommend this to anyone who has read Mindwalker, albeit this story is a little darker!
Thankyou NetGalley for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own, I swear by the sacred rock.
Editorial Sidenote:
There were two instances of sentences not making sense where I believe words were entered the wrong way around or missed. I have included these in my review.
Chapter 5: why did even care? // [why did he even care]
Chapter 13: each laid been with precision // [each been laid with precision]
#bookreview #review #amirageinthememory #simontull #netgalley #books #bookstagram
Mindwalker by Kate Dylan
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I absolutely loved this audiobook, so much so that I'm now ordering a physical copy of the book for my shelf, to annotate.
This story was very fast paced, and the character development, the mysyrty, the ENDING were all so perfectly written that I was HOOKED.
I also have to give major props to the narrator as they managed to make each voice distinguishable, even at x2 speed, with emotion and clarity which some narrators just cannot pull off at all!
The -0.25 stars is literally just because of the pace really, I kinda wanted more filler in the middle, more exploring of the relationships and a teeny bit more conflict, but as a whole, this book was fantastic!
This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I am so glad that I was approved to receive a NetGalley review copy - thankyou NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton!
All thoughts are entirely my own.
This story was very fast paced, and the character development, the mysyrty, the ENDING were all so perfectly written that I was HOOKED.
I also have to give major props to the narrator as they managed to make each voice distinguishable, even at x2 speed, with emotion and clarity which some narrators just cannot pull off at all!
The -0.25 stars is literally just because of the pace really, I kinda wanted more filler in the middle, more exploring of the relationships and a teeny bit more conflict, but as a whole, this book was fantastic!
This was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I am so glad that I was approved to receive a NetGalley review copy - thankyou NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton!
All thoughts are entirely my own.
Family Business by Jonathan Sims
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.5
4.5🌟
I absolutely could not put this book down, if I didn't have to go to work, this would have been devoured in one sitting.
Family Business follows the morbid job that the Slough's, and their apprentice Diya, complete on a frequent basis - Trauma Cleanup.
The story initially starts with humour and when the crescendo hits, spirals into mystery and horror.
Whilst not entitely scary, it was necessary to read with the lights on in fear of seeing thosesupernatural smiling teeth in the corner of my own room!
I will absolutely recommend this book for those who are not turned away by gore and thrills. The characters were extremly loveable and the ending was just *chefs kisses*.
Thankyou NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, Gollancz for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own.
#bookstagram #bookreview # review #books #reader #FamilyBusiness #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup #Gollancz
I absolutely could not put this book down, if I didn't have to go to work, this would have been devoured in one sitting.
Family Business follows the morbid job that the Slough's, and their apprentice Diya, complete on a frequent basis - Trauma Cleanup.
The story initially starts with humour and when the crescendo hits, spirals into mystery and horror.
Whilst not entitely scary, it was necessary to read with the lights on in fear of seeing those
I will absolutely recommend this book for those who are not turned away by gore and thrills. The characters were extremly loveable and the ending was just *chefs kisses*.
Thankyou NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, Gollancz for considering me to review this book. All opinions are my own.
#bookstagram #bookreview # review #books #reader #FamilyBusiness #NetGalley #OrionPublishingGroup #Gollancz
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore
Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'll return to update this review, but WOW is all I can say right now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Rape