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archaicrobin's reviews
622 reviews
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
The Vampires are based on Twilight, which is a joke. So if you love Twilight you’ll love this, but if you’re into blood sucking undead vampires that can’t walk in the sun, this one’s not for us.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
3.0
Overall I enjoyed the second book in the Stern series but not as much as Ninth House.
Problems:
-This book is WAY too long. The main plot of the novel is getting Darlington back from Hell and it takes the ENTIRE book to do it. In order to make it more complex Bardugo throws in some murder mystery that honestly just fizzles out and makes no sense. Described as “a distraction” by the characters comes off more as a ploy to extend page count to the reader. The murder mystery doesn’t really make any sense, the motives were weak and they move in so quickly.
-you have to suspend your belief ALOT. Characters in this book make choices that don’t make sense or are unreasonable. Like Turner and Tripp agreeing to go to hell to retrieve a person who is basically an acquaintance for honestly no reason was a big one. Also Alex’s decision to include Mercy and her automatically being ok with EVERYTHING is another example of unrealistic behavior by characters. Along with these examples are the way too convenient solutions to conflicts in the novel. Everything always wraps up nicely due to some “lucky circumstance” it gets a bit tiring.
-typos GALORE. There were so many grammatical errors and typos in Hell Bent, it was ridiculous. I’d catch one every chapter amongst!
-repetitive. Alex has the same inner dialogue about being a bad person every chapter and it’s unnecessary. It felt like Bardugo would write this in chunks after extended amounts of time because every chapter had the same inner monologue recap. I can only read about Alex blaming herself for everything so many times before it gets beyond irritating.
Good:
-the characters. Honestly I enjoy this series mainly for the cast of characters Bardugo has crafted. They’re all lovable in their own way and despite some of the plot driven choices they make, they do all feel like real people.
-the setting! I love this magical dark side of Yale and some of my favorite parts of the book involve the societies and the magic that each house holds. Unfortunately, there was much less of that aspect in this book since the focus was getting Darlington out of hell.
Will I continue? Yes, I definitely will. I hope the next book tightens up a bit and doesn’t display the same YA leaning plot devices and solutions, like Hell Bent did. Overall I did enjoy this book but I didn’t it love it, which is why 3/5 is my final rating
Problems:
-This book is WAY too long. The main plot of the novel is getting Darlington back from Hell and it takes the ENTIRE book to do it. In order to make it more complex Bardugo throws in some murder mystery that honestly just fizzles out and makes no sense. Described as “a distraction” by the characters comes off more as a ploy to extend page count to the reader. The murder mystery doesn’t really make any sense, the motives were weak and they move in so quickly.
-you have to suspend your belief ALOT. Characters in this book make choices that don’t make sense or are unreasonable. Like Turner and Tripp agreeing to go to hell to retrieve a person who is basically an acquaintance for honestly no reason was a big one. Also Alex’s decision to include Mercy and her automatically being ok with EVERYTHING is another example of unrealistic behavior by characters. Along with these examples are the way too convenient solutions to conflicts in the novel. Everything always wraps up nicely due to some “lucky circumstance” it gets a bit tiring.
-typos GALORE. There were so many grammatical errors and typos in Hell Bent, it was ridiculous. I’d catch one every chapter amongst!
-repetitive. Alex has the same inner dialogue about being a bad person every chapter and it’s unnecessary. It felt like Bardugo would write this in chunks after extended amounts of time because every chapter had the same inner monologue recap. I can only read about Alex blaming herself for everything so many times before it gets beyond irritating.
Good:
-the characters. Honestly I enjoy this series mainly for the cast of characters Bardugo has crafted. They’re all lovable in their own way and despite some of the plot driven choices they make, they do all feel like real people.
-the setting! I love this magical dark side of Yale and some of my favorite parts of the book involve the societies and the magic that each house holds. Unfortunately, there was much less of that aspect in this book since the focus was getting Darlington out of hell.
Will I continue? Yes, I definitely will. I hope the next book tightens up a bit and doesn’t display the same YA leaning plot devices and solutions, like Hell Bent did. Overall I did enjoy this book but I didn’t it love it, which is why 3/5 is my final rating
Crossroads by Laurel Hightower
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A haunting ghost story that explores the darkness of grief and what some may be willing to do for its relief.
I listened to the audiobook for this novella and it was like a friend telling me a detailed ghost story where the main character just can’t see what’s right in front of them! This was suspenseful,
terrifying, and heartbreaking all at once. The narrator did an excellent job conveying the horror in this novella. I found myself wincing and cringing during some of the more horrifying moments because the narration was so visceral.
If you’re looking for a terrifying and eerie story about crossroad demons and the people desperate enough to make a deal with them, then read this now!
I listened to the audiobook for this novella and it was like a friend telling me a detailed ghost story where the main character just can’t see what’s right in front of them! This was suspenseful,
terrifying, and heartbreaking all at once. The narrator did an excellent job conveying the horror in this novella. I found myself wincing and cringing during some of the more horrifying moments because the narration was so visceral.
If you’re looking for a terrifying and eerie story about crossroad demons and the people desperate enough to make a deal with them, then read this now!
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Unpopular opinion here but this was a mess. There are too many characters, too many plot points that in my opinion don’t really make sense, too many names for one person, and way too much left unknown and unexplained.
Gideon and Harrowhark are sent to a supposedly haunted planet to compete in some tournament to be a Lyctor. If you’re a Lyctor you’re a big deal I guess, and there are 9 houses all of them pretentious and none of them memorable.
What is a lyctor? I don’t know, it’s not explained until you get to the end of the book where the glossary is. Which was one of my main issues here. If you need a glossary to explain the entire world and what is happening and how things work, your word building sucks. I was lost and confused this entire book and kept hoping for things to be explained but they really aren’t.
Also putting the glossary at THE END is pointless, if I’d known there was a glossary at the end I could have used it instead of trudging through 400 plus pages confused, bored, and angry.
Along with the confusing world the plot was confusing as well. Is this a competition? Is this a mystery? Is this an action novel? Is this a shitty romance? I still don’t know. The plot was weak and I guessed the twist less than halfway through it was obvious. Along with the plot the book was WAY too long!! 400 plus pages for what?? If you take out all the immature humor and pointless dialogue scenes, this would be way shorter.
Another issue I had was the “romance” there is no romance. There is no “gothic lesbian ghost hunt” which we are promised in the synopsis. There are no ghosts, there are no real romantic feelings and when they show up it again makes no sense and frankly is the most toxic bullshit. Also the skeletons are lame, they just dust the not haunted mansion and bring people dinner.
So obviously I really wasn’t impressed and had a ton of issues so why two stars? The writing was decent, the first few chapters were interesting and I wasn’t completely miserable while reading this (at least for the first half). Would I continue this series? Absolutely not.
I’d recommend this for people who have the humor of an 11 year old that enjoys “your mom” jokes and toxic relationships with little background and swords.
Gideon and Harrowhark are sent to a supposedly haunted planet to compete in some tournament to be a Lyctor. If you’re a Lyctor you’re a big deal I guess, and there are 9 houses all of them pretentious and none of them memorable.
What is a lyctor? I don’t know, it’s not explained until you get to the end of the book where the glossary is. Which was one of my main issues here. If you need a glossary to explain the entire world and what is happening and how things work, your word building sucks. I was lost and confused this entire book and kept hoping for things to be explained but they really aren’t.
Also putting the glossary at THE END is pointless, if I’d known there was a glossary at the end I could have used it instead of trudging through 400 plus pages confused, bored, and angry.
Along with the confusing world the plot was confusing as well. Is this a competition? Is this a mystery? Is this an action novel? Is this a shitty romance? I still don’t know. The plot was weak and I guessed the twist less than halfway through it was obvious. Along with the plot the book was WAY too long!! 400 plus pages for what?? If you take out all the immature humor and pointless dialogue scenes, this would be way shorter.
Another issue I had was the “romance” there is no romance. There is no “gothic lesbian ghost hunt” which we are promised in the synopsis. There are no ghosts, there are no real romantic feelings and when they show up it again makes no sense and frankly is the most toxic bullshit. Also the skeletons are lame, they just dust the not haunted mansion and bring people dinner.
So obviously I really wasn’t impressed and had a ton of issues so why two stars? The writing was decent, the first few chapters were interesting and I wasn’t completely miserable while reading this (at least for the first half). Would I continue this series? Absolutely not.
I’d recommend this for people who have the humor of an 11 year old that enjoys “your mom” jokes and toxic relationships with little background and swords.
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
1.0
This is the first horror/thriller I have read by Darcy Coates, I usually stick with her supernatural horror but I had heard a lot of good things about Dead of Winter.
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this much at all for many reasons. Firstly, the characters aren’t very likeable which makes a who done it isolated cabin murder spree a little boring. I couldn’t even out clued together because there really weren’t any and none of the characters really stood out enough for me to care.
I also thought this book was WAY too long. There was so much inner dialogue in an attempt to make this a mystery through the main Character’s thoughts but it was actually just incredibly boring and repetitive. The twists were also not surprising and easy to predict, it was so simple that at times it was confusing to me because I couldn’t believe some of the logic in this.
The worst thing though is the ending. It just abruptly ends, no studying conclusion, you don’t get any real closure other than the killer’s reveal. I was very disappointed by this one and definitely would not recommend it. There are way better thrillers and horror novels out there, this one is not worth it!
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this much at all for many reasons. Firstly, the characters aren’t very likeable which makes a who done it isolated cabin murder spree a little boring. I couldn’t even out clued together because there really weren’t any and none of the characters really stood out enough for me to care.
I also thought this book was WAY too long. There was so much inner dialogue in an attempt to make this a mystery through the main Character’s thoughts but it was actually just incredibly boring and repetitive. The twists were also not surprising and easy to predict, it was so simple that at times it was confusing to me because I couldn’t believe some of the logic in this.
The worst thing though is the ending. It just abruptly ends, no studying conclusion, you don’t get any real closure other than the killer’s reveal. I was very disappointed by this one and definitely would not recommend it. There are way better thrillers and horror novels out there, this one is not worth it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Dark Ride by Iain Rob Wright
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was shockingly surprised at how much I enjoyed this short novel about a haunted amusement park ride! I was expecting the book version of a b-flick with this one and was surprised to have characters that actually felt real and not just fodder for a killer.
This one is weird and out there but the characters are lively, the pace is quick, and the scares are there, making this one a fun ride.
This one is weird and out there but the characters are lively, the pace is quick, and the scares are there, making this one a fun ride.
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw, Richard Kadrey
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I am a huge fan of Khaw’s horror fiction, her prose is dynamic and visceral while still remaining beautiful at the same time. Nothing But Blackened Teeth is one of my favorite horror novellas of all time.
I was expecting this dreadful type of horror when I started this audiobook and quickly realized this was not the haunting book I expected, but the genre of action/horror.
The narrator was over the top, with a different voice for each character which did help distinguish between the 50 different people in this book, but that did not make up for how annoying the voices could be. The narrator was over the top because the characters were edgy, hardcore, comic book characters that seemed more like caricatures than actual people by the end of the novel because the pacing is so off and there are so many of them.
I’ll admit I’m a character reader, if I’m reading over the top horror I need to care about the characters in some way to find it interesting and I just could not relate or care about any of these characters because there were just too many of them.
Essentially, this book had too many characters, too many pov switches, too many ideas, too many cliches, and too many plot points all thrown into one novel. It feels like you need to go into the story already knowing so much about this world and its characters which I don’t feel like we really get. Instead we get an other scene introducing ANOTHER new character in some edgy, gore filled way. It’s just too much for me.
I will not be continuing this series because the books are not something that interests me. I continue to look forward to future work by Khaw but won’t be recommending this one.
I was expecting this dreadful type of horror when I started this audiobook and quickly realized this was not the haunting book I expected, but the genre of action/horror.
The narrator was over the top, with a different voice for each character which did help distinguish between the 50 different people in this book, but that did not make up for how annoying the voices could be. The narrator was over the top because the characters were edgy, hardcore, comic book characters that seemed more like caricatures than actual people by the end of the novel because the pacing is so off and there are so many of them.
I’ll admit I’m a character reader, if I’m reading over the top horror I need to care about the characters in some way to find it interesting and I just could not relate or care about any of these characters because there were just too many of them.
Essentially, this book had too many characters, too many pov switches, too many ideas, too many cliches, and too many plot points all thrown into one novel. It feels like you need to go into the story already knowing so much about this world and its characters which I don’t feel like we really get. Instead we get an other scene introducing ANOTHER new character in some edgy, gore filled way. It’s just too much for me.
I will not be continuing this series because the books are not something that interests me. I continue to look forward to future work by Khaw but won’t be recommending this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
3.0
Poetry honestly isn’t my genre of choice and I chose this audiobook because it was short, totaling at about 1hr 19mins. I gave it a 3 because it was well narrated and the poems were well written I just wasn’t into it. I’m not a well versed in what makes good or bad poetry but this was ok.
Sisters by Lily Tuck
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
A second wife describing her husband his kids form a previous marriage and her obsession with his first wife. Short, and easy this one wasn’t anything amazing in my opinion but it was interesting enough to listen too. If you’re looking for a break between books or to boost your book count this one was ok.
The Art of Super Mario Odyssey by Nintendo
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
A beautifully detailed art book for Mario and Nintendo fans that gives an inside look into Mario Odyssey!