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arecordofki's reviews
184 reviews
The Romance Rivalry by Susan Lee
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book was awful. It was genuinely the most painful ending experience I've had, because it was so full of pop culture references but done in the cringiest way possible.
The plot has to be non-existent at this point because not ONE MOMENT even showed Irene and Aiden even falling in love. It was so frustrating to see it cut off right before they even show their relationship progress, so you had to rely on a lot of telling from the author and no showing at all. Also, there were so many out of pocket quips in the book it took out the reading experience. Genuinely there is no reason for an omegaverse fanfiction to be inserted there. And also, Irene as a main character was so insufferable. She was acting so quirky it hurt to read and Aiden in general was also not it because what do you mean he would read everything she did and then proceed to comment under her videos.
Also, as a book reviewer, I want to say that the plot made no sense for me as someone in this space. If another creator were to comment under my videos being snarky half the time and their followers would also troll me afterwards? I'd block them so fast there is no chance for even a romance to be budding. If you're someone that enjoys a silly read and don't mind the super frequent pop culture references then sure, I'd say this book is for you but personally it did not do it for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The plot has to be non-existent at this point because not ONE MOMENT even showed Irene and Aiden even falling in love. It was so frustrating to see it cut off right before they even show their relationship progress, so you had to rely on a lot of telling from the author and no showing at all. Also, there were so many out of pocket quips in the book it took out the reading experience. Genuinely there is no reason for an omegaverse fanfiction to be inserted there. And also, Irene as a main character was so insufferable. She was acting so quirky it hurt to read and Aiden in general was also not it because what do you mean he would read everything she did and then proceed to comment under her videos.
Also, as a book reviewer, I want to say that the plot made no sense for me as someone in this space. If another creator were to comment under my videos being snarky half the time and their followers would also troll me afterwards? I'd block them so fast there is no chance for even a romance to be budding. If you're someone that enjoys a silly read and don't mind the super frequent pop culture references then sure, I'd say this book is for you but personally it did not do it for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Love love love loveeeeee this series and this book 🫣
Kinda really obsessed with Galen and Piper
Kinda really obsessed with Galen and Piper
Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After reading Paladin's Grace, this story was a bit less light-hearted and felt more heavier, but I still enjoyed it nevertheless!
I really like Istvhan from Book 1 and was surprised to find out more about his personality and howit was different from Book 1, where he takes a bit more of a serious demeanor here. and I was so surprised too that HE WASN'T WITH BEARTONGUE IN THIS BOOK!! Good one Kingfisher. You got me there. it was quite interesting to follow his journey with Clara and seeing the story expand and follow the ongoing mystery from book one which by the way, Kingfisher really knows how to scare the bejeezus out of you because oh my god?? Why was this book more terrifying than the first, but also I'm so impressed that they were able to make me swoon and also be scared at the same time...that's some skill right there.
I also really liked that the series as a whole seems to be focused mainly on couples who are more older than the usual characters in their 20s, and its really refreshing to read! I also adore that they said f the "im so small and petite" trope and gave my big guy an equally big woman to match and I love that.
I really like Istvhan from Book 1 and was surprised to find out more about his personality and how
I also really liked that the series as a whole seems to be focused mainly on couples who are more older than the usual characters in their 20s, and its really refreshing to read! I also adore that they said f the "im so small and petite" trope and gave my big guy an equally big woman to match and I love that.
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Okay I don't know what kind of story I expected knowing that T. Kingfisher is mostly well known for their works in the Horror genre. But this book was not only unexpectedly funny, but so adorable and had just the best writing!
I liked that all the Paladins were this group of friends that always had each other's backs, but they're also so silly with each other and honestly, goofballs. Which is surprising for a religious order thats meant to be very prim and upright because their sense of humour is amazing (im looking at you Istvhan)
Aside from that, I liked the romance between Grace and Stephen and they're genuinely the cutest couple ever! I haven't read much romances where it's an much older couple (Grace is 34 and Stephen is 37?) And I need to read more like that. Stephens internal monologue and his gentle giant demeanour with Grace whos just always panicking about doing the wrong thing is an adorable combination!!
Also, the main storyline was following a mysterious case of beheadings and I really liked that even with the gentle writing and romance, when T. Kingfisher writes about anything related to those murders, it sent a jolt of fear through me because woah, I wasnt expecting that but their descriptions were still quite spooky and blended really well with the story in the end.
I liked that all the Paladins were this group of friends that always had each other's backs, but they're also so silly with each other and honestly, goofballs. Which is surprising for a religious order thats meant to be very prim and upright because their sense of humour is amazing (im looking at you Istvhan)
Aside from that, I liked the romance between Grace and Stephen and they're genuinely the cutest couple ever! I haven't read much romances where it's an much older couple (Grace is 34 and Stephen is 37?) And I need to read more like that. Stephens internal monologue and his gentle giant demeanour with Grace whos just always panicking about doing the wrong thing is an adorable combination!!
Also, the main storyline was following a mysterious case of beheadings and I really liked that even with the gentle writing and romance, when T. Kingfisher writes about anything related to those murders, it sent a jolt of fear through me because woah, I wasnt expecting that but their descriptions were still quite spooky and blended really well with the story in the end.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Okay I've been avoiding this book and anything R.F. Kuang because of how everyone always ends up devastated by it, but I have always been curious about the story, and her writing.
This book was very real, and reflective of not only the world's current state, but also brings back the atrocities of the past and reminds you that what may have been history is still repeating itself and it truly gets you to reflect.
The book itself surprised me with its light-hearted tone at the start, and I was laughing at bits and pieces, falling in love with Rin as a character and getting attached to others. I like to think I don't cry quite easily when it comes to books, happy tears are easier to elict from me than sad ones, and this book wasn't an exception.
the Golyn Niss scene was gruesome and sickening, and yet I was relatively alright reading it, however it was when Venka recounted her experience with the soldiers and them mentioning mutilating young girls that really....that really did something that made me need to put the book down for a hot minute.
R.F. Kuang is really good at capturing every side: the good and the bad, and honestly her ability to make me question whether we truly are on the good side is pretty damn great. I'm a bit more intrigued to continue and read the rest of the series.
This book was very real, and reflective of not only the world's current state, but also brings back the atrocities of the past and reminds you that what may have been history is still repeating itself and it truly gets you to reflect.
The book itself surprised me with its light-hearted tone at the start, and I was laughing at bits and pieces, falling in love with Rin as a character and getting attached to others. I like to think I don't cry quite easily when it comes to books, happy tears are easier to elict from me than sad ones, and this book wasn't an exception.
R.F. Kuang is really good at capturing every side: the good and the bad, and honestly her ability to make me question whether we truly are on the good side is pretty damn great. I'm a bit more intrigued to continue and read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
This Blood that Binds Us by S.L. Cokeley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
I fear "Omega Beta Alpha Party" was my last straw
These Vengeful Wishes by Vanessa Montalban
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
Edit: the more i wrote the more i realised i didn't like it
Its a solid 3 stars because I did manage to finish it and I was really hooked by the mystery of La Cegua in the story.
It isn't necessarily a bad book, I didn't feel as though the explanations at the end of it made any sense.
How the relationshipCecilia had with Marina was explained as her just being lost her memories and then her treating her daughter really coldly? it felt forced and towards the end the antagonist wasn't done well in my opinion. Because wdym she dies and then Roman comes back and he becomes the antagonist for the next like 3 mins before he also dies its like huh ?? and the explanation for why only one of them can leave and the wishes they made kinda confused me
Also the romance was not romancing the way I hoped it would there were also many aspects of the story that couldve been fleshed out more, like her friendships, the relationship Jamie had with his dad, even Gabe and Marina to be honest. It was just alright overall 😟
Its a solid 3 stars because I did manage to finish it and I was really hooked by the mystery of La Cegua in the story.
It isn't necessarily a bad book, I didn't feel as though the explanations at the end of it made any sense.
How the relationship
Also the romance was not romancing the way I hoped it would there were also many aspects of the story that couldve been fleshed out more, like her friendships, the relationship Jamie had with his dad, even Gabe and Marina to be honest. It was just alright overall 😟
Tenderly, I am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
2.5
Tenderly, I Am Devoured is an atmospheric story with tales of Cthonic gods that fans of A Study of Drowning will surely appreciate. The writing was lovely, and reading it felt like I was thrown directly into the story, tasting salt on my lips just the same as the main characters did and feeling swept away by the pacing of the story, much like the waves of the ocean described.
The story initially gripped me with its immersion, and I found myself glued to the pages, eager for more. However, as we progressed, I didn't find myself as engrossed as I was initially due to a few factors:
- The polycule relationship between Lacrimosa, Alistair and Camille was not what I'd quite define a polycule to me, but this may be an interpretation that I might just not be aware of. I view polyamorous relationships to be ones where all parties are involved romantically with one another. Setting aside the familial relationship between Alistair and Camille, it felt more like them taking turns with her and less like a cohesive relationship.
- I felt like the conflict between the Felimaths was not quite as explored as I'd have liked. It was a complicated relationship, and looking more into the reasons would be interesting to explore to understand motivations better.
- I would also have liked to see more of Henry and Oberon, for their personalities to be shown more to us rather than told in passing and to look at how Lacrimosa and her family share their dynamic with one another.
The writing style of this author and their ability to set the scene really is spectacular and the premise of the story is very interesting, however I do wish it had been executed slightly differently by looking further into certain aspects of the story for the readers to really gain a good grip of what was going on and the dynamics between the characters.
Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.
The story initially gripped me with its immersion, and I found myself glued to the pages, eager for more. However, as we progressed, I didn't find myself as engrossed as I was initially due to a few factors:
- I felt like the conflict between the Felimaths was not quite as explored as I'd have liked. It was a complicated relationship, and looking more into the reasons would be interesting to explore to understand motivations better.
- I would also have liked to see more of Henry and Oberon, for their personalities to be shown more to us rather than told in passing and to look at how Lacrimosa and her family share their dynamic with one another.
The writing style of this author and their ability to set the scene really is spectacular and the premise of the story is very interesting, however I do wish it had been executed slightly differently by looking further into certain aspects of the story for the readers to really gain a good grip of what was going on and the dynamics between the characters.
Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the early copy. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse
The Villainess is a Marionette, Season 1 by hanirim, manggle
4.0
This series is one of my favourites and I'm always such a sucker for plots where the reincarnated villainess becomes incredibly cunning and uses everything around her to her advantage. I love how Kayena's change in attitude also causes those around her to also perceive her a bit differently and it hits really well!!
I cannot wait to see everyone fall to her feet as the series progresses because i just love her so much ðŸ¤
Thank you Netgalley and Ize Press for the early copy, all opinions are my own!
I cannot wait to see everyone fall to her feet as the series progresses because i just love her so much ðŸ¤
Thank you Netgalley and Ize Press for the early copy, all opinions are my own!