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archaicrobin's reviews
576 reviews
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5
A Taste of Gold and Iron is the definition of a slow burn! I usually love a good slow burn romance but the pacing was so slow at times it crawled at a snails pace! The slow pacing was really what knocked this one down for me. One moment I’d be so invested and couldn’t put the book down, and the next I’d be struggling to read 2 pages and fighting to keep reading! This one was an up and down roller coaster for me which is why it too me so long to finish.
While the pacing was a big problem for me, I generally enjoyed the rest of the book! The characters, while at first very basic, began to grow and take on their own personalities as they interacted with each other. The characters, and they way they learned, grew, and interacted with each other are what I enjoyed most about this novel.
I appreciated the attempt at the political side plot of the book but it never came together enough to feel like a solid plot point. This book is all about Kadou and Evemer and I kind of wished the author had leaned more into the romance and less into the counterfeit coin conspiracy mystery.
I loved the scenes focused on Kadou and Evemer slowly falling in love and the humorous scenes with side characters like Tadek and Melek. These were my moments of joy in this novel, and the mystery felt boring in comparison.
Overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend as long as you like slow burn fantasy romance.
While the pacing was a big problem for me, I generally enjoyed the rest of the book! The characters, while at first very basic, began to grow and take on their own personalities as they interacted with each other. The characters, and they way they learned, grew, and interacted with each other are what I enjoyed most about this novel.
I appreciated the attempt at the political side plot of the book but it never came together enough to feel like a solid plot point. This book is all about Kadou and Evemer and I kind of wished the author had leaned more into the romance and less into the counterfeit coin conspiracy mystery.
I loved the scenes focused on Kadou and Evemer slowly falling in love and the humorous scenes with side characters like Tadek and Melek. These were my moments of joy in this novel, and the mystery felt boring in comparison.
Overall I enjoyed this one and would recommend as long as you like slow burn fantasy romance.
Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Stephen Graham Jones
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fun short story about family, revenge, a woman’s rage, and a haunted car. Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite horror authors but I don’t always love every book. This one was short, sweet, and gruesome in all the right ways!
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
First of all, if you’re someone that needs answers I’d caution you on reading this one. Everything is ambiguous and speculative and there are no clear cut answers or revelations, only theories. I love speculative fiction and while I do love answers, I can still appreciate a good book that gives you nothing but questions.
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
I Who Have Never Known men is a feminist dystopian tale from the 90s that starts with questions and ends with questions, all asked and attempted to be answered by the main character who has no name and is only referred to as “the child”. She is the youngest of 40 women trapped in a cage, in an unknown location, tormented by unknown men, for unknown reasons, until one day…. They’re not.
This one kept me reading in hopes of figuring out what was going on, and what felt at first felt like your normal dystopian quickly turns into a speculative story about what it means to be a human. I loved this one and am still thinking about it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Confinement, and Death
Queer Little Nightmares by David Ly, Daniel Zomparelli
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This story collection features short stories and poems all with LGBTQ characters and monsters. This was a unique collection but not every story or poem was interesting in my opinion. A few good stories here but be prepared to sift through as most are ok at best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Body horror
Burn the Negative by Josh Winning
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Burn the Negative is a horror thriller that starts off strong but slowly fizzles out. I was hooked when I started this horror/thriller. I loved the premise, I loved the homage to classic 80s horror like poltergeist, and I liked the fast pace writing that made the characters initially interesting.
Unfortunately once I reached the halfway point this story began to feel dragged out with the same conflicts appearing with no growth. The mystery part of this was messy and there’s a lot of false culprits which gets a bit exhausting. Where I was at first struggling to put this down, I was now struggling to pick it up.
Along with the lack of momentum, I also was very underwhelmed by the ending. It didn’t make much sense in my opinion and erased all the character growth that occurred making the novel somewhat pointless. This book reminded me of a horror film that starts off with such potential but ends up as a mid b flick.
While I didn’t enjoy this novel all the way though, I did love the first half of this book and recommend to those looking for fast paced analogue horror who has a soft spot for old horror movies.
Unfortunately once I reached the halfway point this story began to feel dragged out with the same conflicts appearing with no growth. The mystery part of this was messy and there’s a lot of false culprits which gets a bit exhausting. Where I was at first struggling to put this down, I was now struggling to pick it up.
Along with the lack of momentum, I also was very underwhelmed by the ending. It didn’t make much sense in my opinion and erased all the character growth that occurred making the novel somewhat pointless. This book reminded me of a horror film that starts off with such potential but ends up as a mid b flick.
While I didn’t enjoy this novel all the way though, I did love the first half of this book and recommend to those looking for fast paced analogue horror who has a soft spot for old horror movies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, and Violence
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I have had The Silent Patient on my TBR for years and was initially very excited to read it. I first added it back when I was naive and thought that being in the Best Seller list actually meant something, but now I know it’s where mediocre and terrible books are highlighted for all the wrong reasons.
The Silent Patient is incredibly mid, it’s your stereotypical thriller that starts off fine, nothing groundbreaking, but unfortunately disintegrates into this poorly written mess. I was interested for about half of the book then it just tanked completely for me.
The writing is erratic, the twist is confusing, the plot is slow and honestly boring, and the main character Theo is a dull man with white savior complex. Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this, there are far better thrillers out there to spend you time on.
The Silent Patient is incredibly mid, it’s your stereotypical thriller that starts off fine, nothing groundbreaking, but unfortunately disintegrates into this poorly written mess. I was interested for about half of the book then it just tanked completely for me.
The writing is erratic, the twist is confusing, the plot is slow and honestly boring, and the main character Theo is a dull man with white savior complex. Overall, I wouldn’t really recommend this, there are far better thrillers out there to spend you time on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Infidelity, Misogyny, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
Choosing to Run: A Memoir by Des Linden
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Des Linden’s memoir is one I would recommend to those that are runners or enjoy the sport of running. While she does throw in some inspirational moments, a majority of this memoir is an in depth look at her running career and has a lot of information about professional running that I feel could bore those not interested in the sport.
Since I am a runner, I found this incredibly inspiring and it was motivating to read about Des’s journey prior to her Boston Marathon career while simultaneously reading about her headspace during that life changing race.
While I loved this memoir I do think the pacing was a little off and it was hard to get through at points when the writing became more technical, but never enough to lose my interest. Again I feel if you’re not into running, these parts would definitely bore you!
I can’t wait to see Des Linden in future events! Watching Linden’s 2018 Boston Marathon run again after reading this memoir made the moment even more powerful!
Since I am a runner, I found this incredibly inspiring and it was motivating to read about Des’s journey prior to her Boston Marathon career while simultaneously reading about her headspace during that life changing race.
While I loved this memoir I do think the pacing was a little off and it was hard to get through at points when the writing became more technical, but never enough to lose my interest. Again I feel if you’re not into running, these parts would definitely bore you!
I can’t wait to see Des Linden in future events! Watching Linden’s 2018 Boston Marathon run again after reading this memoir made the moment even more powerful!
Chlorine by Jade Song
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Chlorine is a hauntingly twisted coming of age tale about a girl obsessed with mermaids and professional swimming. Ren is such a compelling character and the sapphic romance is bittersweet and enthralling. I honestly could not put this book down even during some of the most gruesome scenes in the story. I loved the sports centric plot and loved reading about a strong, athletic, female character slowly losing her touch with reality. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because the ending fell flat for me, I can see why it ends the way it does and it fits the story but personally it was not to my liking. If you’re looking for a weird, slow burn horror with a strong female lead I highly recommend Chlorine. This book was so disturbing to me, I’ll be haunted by for it months…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Body horror
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Castro’s writing is very blunt and it’s always hard for me to get into at first which affects my overall enjoyment of her books, but it’s very much a personal taste. If you’re looking for flowery, descriptive prose or a complex horror novel I wouldn’t recommend this one, as it’s very point blank and you have to accept a lot and just move on.
If you can do that though, this novel tells and eerie tale of a woman stuck in her depression hating her life, her children, her husband, and herself, all while being haunted by an entity she assumes is La Llorona. Alejandra at first is insufferable because she is so miserable but once she starts seeing a therapist and valuing herself, she begins to find the power within her self to not only change her life but defeat the curse of La Llorona for good.
While Castro’s writing style isn’t my favorite I always love her strong female characters, her ability to create terrifying imagery, and the strong cultural elements she weaves into her story. If you’re looking for a well crafted supernatural tale about strong women, generational trauma, and identity this one is worth trying!
If you can do that though, this novel tells and eerie tale of a woman stuck in her depression hating her life, her children, her husband, and herself, all while being haunted by an entity she assumes is La Llorona. Alejandra at first is insufferable because she is so miserable but once she starts seeing a therapist and valuing herself, she begins to find the power within her self to not only change her life but defeat the curse of La Llorona for good.
While Castro’s writing style isn’t my favorite I always love her strong female characters, her ability to create terrifying imagery, and the strong cultural elements she weaves into her story. If you’re looking for a well crafted supernatural tale about strong women, generational trauma, and identity this one is worth trying!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Suicide, Blood, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexism, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.0
This “novel” is absolute garbage. How this book was published let alone praised is mind boggling.
Why does this book suck?
-characters are weak, unoriginal, and poorly crafted. Every female in this story is raped, tortured, and valueless. The only merit a female has in this novel is what she offers a man, or what a man does to her, or how she can be used against a man. There is rape or mentions of rape in almost every chapter and it’s thrown in like it’s nothing. Pierce Brown should take some classes on sexism and how writing scenes like this when they have no context of what they are talking about is harmful. Along with the lack of any actual female characters, the main character is a joke. His alliances change every page or so, he is a misogynist, he is a Mary-Sue amazing at everything and he is overall dull.
-The Plot. The plot is a mash up of every single YA apocalyptic story you’ve ever read but the cheap knock off version. You have Hunger games, Divergent, and even Harry Potter all thrown in to create this monstrosity. Nothing is original, everything is taken from something else, and the plot of Darrow rising to I guess avenge his people is lost in the silly “war school” which is basically Harry potter but without the magic, atmosphere, gripping characters, exciting trials, or anything of merit really. The plot devolves into raping young girls while the men suck their own dicks to claim the title of “proctor” or “primus”. The misogyny is absolutely rampant.
- this “novel” is the biggest toxic masculinity, misogynistic, idiotic, compilation of text I have ever seen. This is by far the WORST book I have read this year and I think it is actually detrimental to society.
Do not read this book where women are raped and considered things, where the main character justifies the rape by saying it’s simply “war crimes” where men are emasculated every page and beaten down to make the main character look valuable. There is nothing good about this book and I’m personally offended that this was published let alone allowed to continue in a series. Do not let your teen read this, do not let anyone you care about read this. This is MY OPINION and I am not ashamed to share it. Whoever read this and decided to market it let alone published at all should be ashamed.
Why does this book suck?
-characters are weak, unoriginal, and poorly crafted. Every female in this story is raped, tortured, and valueless. The only merit a female has in this novel is what she offers a man, or what a man does to her, or how she can be used against a man. There is rape or mentions of rape in almost every chapter and it’s thrown in like it’s nothing. Pierce Brown should take some classes on sexism and how writing scenes like this when they have no context of what they are talking about is harmful. Along with the lack of any actual female characters, the main character is a joke. His alliances change every page or so, he is a misogynist, he is a Mary-Sue amazing at everything and he is overall dull.
-The Plot. The plot is a mash up of every single YA apocalyptic story you’ve ever read but the cheap knock off version. You have Hunger games, Divergent, and even Harry Potter all thrown in to create this monstrosity. Nothing is original, everything is taken from something else, and the plot of Darrow rising to I guess avenge his people is lost in the silly “war school” which is basically Harry potter but without the magic, atmosphere, gripping characters, exciting trials, or anything of merit really. The plot devolves into raping young girls while the men suck their own dicks to claim the title of “proctor” or “primus”. The misogyny is absolutely rampant.
- this “novel” is the biggest toxic masculinity, misogynistic, idiotic, compilation of text I have ever seen. This is by far the WORST book I have read this year and I think it is actually detrimental to society.
Do not read this book where women are raped and considered things, where the main character justifies the rape by saying it’s simply “war crimes” where men are emasculated every page and beaten down to make the main character look valuable. There is nothing good about this book and I’m personally offended that this was published let alone allowed to continue in a series. Do not let your teen read this, do not let anyone you care about read this. This is MY OPINION and I am not ashamed to share it. Whoever read this and decided to market it let alone published at all should be ashamed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cannibalism, War, Bullying, Death of parent, Classism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Violence