aprilthebookqueen's reviews
135 reviews

Legend of the Quill by Astra Crompton

adventurous medium-paced

5.0

The main word I can say is WOW. 

This book was amazing. The writing was beautifully done. The way it flowed, and the wording used. It felt elegant. 

The characters felt so real and well-rounded. They were believable. Especially the main character. The depth given to him was wonderful. 

The world building in this book is also really well-done. It's a different take on some of the more common things I see in fantasy, and I really enjoyed that. It's a nice break from the regular fantasy novels I read, and it was refreshing to read something different. 

I enjoyed the switching of POV, and I really liked getting to see things from the antagonist's POV as well. It made it more interesting to me. 

I also adored the little illustrations at each chapter heading. It felt like it really added something to it, and I found myself looking forward to seeing them. 

Overall, a really fascinating and enjoyable read. 

Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

2.75

I had a really hard time focusing on this one. It was just boring. 

I know that these are focused on the mystery, but there’s been a lot more personal stuff in other ones that adds an interesting element. This one really didn’t have anything, aside from Summer’s issues. 

I’ll continue to read the books, but this one just wasn’t for me. 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I had fun reading this! 

I love the concept of the four worlds, and it was super neat getting to hear the differences between them  

I also enjoyed the characters, especially Lila. Watching her relationship change with Kell was a fun journey outside of the journey of the book. 

It was a different read than a lot of my other fantasy and I love the chance of pace. 

I’m excited to continue. 

A Fire in the Flesh by Jennifer L. Armentrout

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.5

This one wasn’t my favourite.  

I still love the characters but this honestly just felt like a bunch of filler. Everything that happened could have probably happened in less than half the pages.

I love the world. And the characters. But we barely got any interaction with the side characters we’ve grown to love and barely even got much Ash in this book. 

I will still read the next one to see how it ends because I enjoy the series. 

The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen

reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

 

I just finished this book, and I have to say that I overall enjoyed it!

It was different than anything else I'd read lately, and it was a nice change of pace. I also found the main character relatable, even if she was frustrating at times, I understood her and why she acted the way she did.

"Were they somehow angry I'd been born? Honesty, there were times I felt the same way." - This is a quote that really stuck out to me, and part of why I find her relatable. There is a lot of honesty in this book when it comes to feelings of grief, loneliness and the struggles that the three children face.

There wasn't a lot that happened, but the book was still interesting and it was really about the characters and their journeys for me. I enjoyed all the characters for their own reasons (except for the money hungry assistant, but that's to be expected.). I enjoyed seeing the character growth of the main character especially. Callie learning to trust others and her journey was the main part of the book for me. The way she cared for her siblings, and the way they cared for her was very sweet. I also loved seeing the "found family" come into play. There were no romantic intersts for the main character and I love seeing that for a change. It was really just about her and her bonds with her family (found family included.)

The writing style was easy to read, and conversational in nature. It kept my interest.

There wasn't a lot of descriptions to picture things, but I am someone who has aphantasia and this was actually a nice break for me to not have to read a bunch of descriptions I wasn't able to picture. If you are someone who needs to vividly picture stuff, this might not be for you but if you're like me then I think you might really enjoy it!

 

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. I love seeing the different relationships develop. I love the plot. And the chemistry between the two main characters is amazing and I don’t usually care for romantic relationships in books. They’re usually neutral to me. I’m feeling this one. 

I think I might actually prefer the prequel series to the original series. 

Forensics of a Fable: A Goldilocks Murder Mystery Romantic Suspense by Nicole Scarano

mysterious fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I definitely liked the first one better but this one was still pretty entertaining. 

I really love seeing a character with a strong bond with her dog. It’s relatable. I also enjoyed seeing enemies to friends with the two men, or at least the start of it. 

The storyline was fun, and I went into this blind so it was fun figuring out which fairytale this one was based off of. 

A lot of interesting characters, some from the last book but also a couple new ones as well! 

This book is a really fun, and fast paced read. 

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

2.75

This wasn’t my favourite of this series. 

I found it hard to get through and keep my interest. The main cases going on just didn’t feel like much and the resolution just wasn’t it for me. I usually just read her books but I kept breaking from this one to read something else. 

I did overall still enjoy the characters though. It was fun getting to see some characters interact who hadn’t before, and I looked forward to that part of the book. The actual mystery just wasn’t engaging or interesting to me though. 

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

2.75

 I found the concept of this book really interesting. Urban fantasy after a war with monsters and humans and how they are co-existing now. That sounded so interesting, but I feel like we spent so much time on stuff that was kind of boring and hard to get through.

I would have loved to learn more about the history of the world a bit and all that happened, but that's a personal preference.

There were a few good moments, and satisfying conclusions. I also thought the relationship between Graves and Kierce was interesting, though I wasn't really a fan of the ending and the relationships between the characters.

I will still check out the next book and see where it goes!

 

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

4.0

That last line had my jaw drop. I have no idea how I managed to avoid that spoiler, but I am glad I did because it caught me so off guard. 

Overall, enjoyed this story. I love seeing fantasy in a modern setting. It's definitely different! 

My only real dislike is the main character. I find her to be really frustrating. But the side characters and the interesting plot make up for it!