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amy_reading_23's reviews
73 reviews
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
This was a fun book. It was refreshing to read a fantasy based off of Welsh mythology. I actually really liked the protagonist and thought she was cool. There were a few twists I didn't expect. I would have liked to have gone more into the lore and world of the fey and feel like the plot probably could have slowed down for that. But it was an enjoyable fast read.
I really liked the ex girlfriend character at first but then felt she got a little wet and not as cool as she originally was which is a shame. It would have been possible to make her both care and be badass. I feel like more time could have been spent on this character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, War, Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
True Love Bites by Joy Demorra
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
There were elements of this book that I liked, but I think it was a few edits away from done. The author was trying to fit quite a lot in and it made it feel a bit disjointed and like nothing was really fully realised. There's a lot of plot points that have been left in the air, a lot of characters introduced in the first half that are never seen again, and just stuff like that. I think I enjoyed the first half the most and then I found the second half quite slow and a little annoying.
There also wasn't enough time spent exploring Nathan and Vlad's relationship. They spent half the book pining over eachother and then suddenly they sleep together and that's it, they never have discussions over what their relationship is or go on dates or anything. It's a bit rushed.
The satire and some of the characters in this book really made me think of Terry pratchett, so I wonder if maybe the author is influenced by him. Its a shame, some parts of this book had great potential, like the looking at disabilities and mental health, but as I said it just wasn't really quite there. Others might still enjoy this, there are qualities to like, it just wasn't quite what I had wanted from it.
There also wasn't enough time spent exploring Nathan and Vlad's relationship. They spent half the book pining over eachother and then suddenly they sleep together and that's it, they never have discussions over what their relationship is or go on dates or anything. It's a bit rushed.
The satire and some of the characters in this book really made me think of Terry pratchett, so I wonder if maybe the author is influenced by him. Its a shame, some parts of this book had great potential, like the looking at disabilities and mental health, but as I said it just wasn't really quite there. Others might still enjoy this, there are qualities to like, it just wasn't quite what I had wanted from it.
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book broke me. It is the best vampire book I've read in ages. I really didn't expect it to be this good.
It's about Gabriel De Lion, a dhampir recounting his life to a vampire who has him imprisoned. He focuses on two tales, the one of his upbringing and the one of the adventure leading him here. Just when one tale comes to a cliffhanger he switches to the other.
I really enjoyed Gabriel's character. He is a destructive mixture of cynical, sad, fearless and hopeful, a man having lived an incredibly hard life. But although the book has dark and sad moments, he tells his story with humour and I couldn't get enough of it.
There were some bits I was unsure of, that made me a bit uncomfortable. E.g. I don't know why Kristoff felt the need to write such explicit sex scenes between teenagers in an adult fantasy book. That felt unessecary and having heard some criticisms of his other books I do have to wonder why he chose to do that. But other than that, the book was great and I'll be thinking about it for a while.
It's about Gabriel De Lion, a dhampir recounting his life to a vampire who has him imprisoned. He focuses on two tales, the one of his upbringing and the one of the adventure leading him here. Just when one tale comes to a cliffhanger he switches to the other.
I really enjoyed Gabriel's character. He is a destructive mixture of cynical, sad, fearless and hopeful, a man having lived an incredibly hard life. But although the book has dark and sad moments, he tells his story with humour and I couldn't get enough of it.
There were some bits I was unsure of, that made me a bit uncomfortable. E.g. I don't know why Kristoff felt the need to write such explicit sex scenes between teenagers in an adult fantasy book. That felt unessecary and having heard some criticisms of his other books I do have to wonder why he chose to do that. But other than that, the book was great and I'll be thinking about it for a while.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Death, War, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, and Sexual content
Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is so beautiful. The art is stunning and I love the mythology. The plot isn't the strongest and the moral is a little cliche but that doesn't make it an any less enjoyable read. Its cute, sapphic, emotional and magical. I wish I could have some of the pages as prints to put on my wall. Very cottagecore/hygge vibes 🍄
I don't think the blurb really gives an honest description of the novel. The two women are already together at the beginning so it's not about one proving herself to the other. It's more about her proving her worth to herself. It's about self-discovery, loneliness, community and lack-of, motherhood and magic.
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. It's possibly one of the best historical novels I've read as it does truly bring Elizabethan England to life. There was also a lightheartedness to this novel that the first one lacked. I also enjoyed the more focused exploration of witchcraft.
The only reason I won't give it 4 stars is because I still don't like how Matthew treats Diana. Mostly he is better than the first book but that's not saying much. He is still abusive and its still excused as being because of his vampirism and past. It is such a shame as without that these would be great books.
The only reason I won't give it 4 stars is because I still don't like how Matthew treats Diana. Mostly he is better than the first book but that's not saying much. He is still abusive and its still excused as being because of his vampirism and past. It is such a shame as without that these would be great books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Blood
Welsh Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends by Claire Fayers
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This was cute, I didn't realise until after I'd gotten it that it's welsh fairy tales re written for children essentially, but as an adult I still enjoyed it, especially as folklore can be quite dry sometimes so having it written for an audience with a shorter attention span made it quite fun.
The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.75
The beginning and the end had kind of some fun bits, but it lost me in the middle and I almost gave up. Its sadly just pretty badly written. The characters are not very well rounded -- and there's something very icky to me about a vampire from the 1500s who even admits he is hundres of years old kisses a 16 Yr old -- and the plot is kind of all over the place. Also far too much "tell" instead of "show".
The concept isn't bad, and the only reason I kept reading when I was about to give up was the idea of an environmentalist vampire and this quote:
"You're poisoning your own planet! This dumb blue ball floating around the milky way has the precise and inexpressibly rare conditions to Foster life, and mortals are doing everything they can to destroy it."
Like, that is valid. But a part from some moments like that I wouldn't really say its worth reading.
The concept isn't bad, and the only reason I kept reading when I was about to give up was the idea of an environmentalist vampire and this quote:
"You're poisoning your own planet! This dumb blue ball floating around the milky way has the precise and inexpressibly rare conditions to Foster life, and mortals are doing everything they can to destroy it."
Like, that is valid. But a part from some moments like that I wouldn't really say its worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I was amazed after finishing this book to look at the published date and see that it's older than I am. Terry Practhett touches on issues that are just as relevant today and in some ways was ahead of his time. I love how the discworld books use humour and satire to explore some serious social and political topics. There is some language or descriptions used that I feel are a bit outdated but since it's nearly 30 years old it's not that surprising. Will always love the discworld series, with the night watch being especially fun, and Practhett one of my favourite authors. Still sad I didn't get to meet him when he was alive.
Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
This book is an interesting one, and it definitley got me thinking. It doesn't have much of a plot but is more like a slice of life. Its about a trans vampire archivist falling in love with another queer person whilst also working through depression and questioning the liminality between life and death.
It reads more like experimental literary fiction than fantasy - the vampirism is used as a metaphor for chronic illness, living in a trans body, and being othered. If you are questioning your gender or identity then there are definitley bits of this books that can feel quite affirming. Overall it is quite a challenging book though, I wouldn't read it just for fun, but there were elements I liked.
It reads more like experimental literary fiction than fantasy - the vampirism is used as a metaphor for chronic illness, living in a trans body, and being othered. If you are questioning your gender or identity then there are definitley bits of this books that can feel quite affirming. Overall it is quite a challenging book though, I wouldn't read it just for fun, but there were elements I liked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Chronic illness, Transphobia, Confinement, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Blood, Death, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Car accident, Grief, and Mental illness
Magical Midlife Madness by K.F. Breene
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book was just so much fun, it's really refreshing to see a chosen one fiction with older characters. I loved the grouchy Mr Tom and Niamh and their dynamic, I loved Edgar and Austin and just all the characters are great. But mostly I just loved Jessie's confidence with herself and the positive view of aging. It wasn't perfect, and there were a few moments of fat phobia I could have done without, but I gave it 5 stars for how much I enjoyed it and I will be looking at getting the next books in the series!