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bibliorama's reviews
157 reviews
The Rose & the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Enjoyment - 4
I really flew through this audiobook. I enjoyed the writing, and even though I didn't remember much of the plot from the first book going in, I picked up on what was happening quickly. This duology gives me soapy, melodramatic vibes but in an endearing way.
Start - 3
This is the lowest rating for me simply because it took me some time to remember the side characters and where the plot left off from the first book, but the writing really swept me in and allowed me to figure it out.
Characters - 3.5
I really enjoy these characters. They have over the top moments and the relationship between the main characters isn't the most believable, but again its a soap opera. I think I was able to accept the characters as they were written because of the writing style, it's flowery and not trying to be "gritty" and "hard-hitting." It works for this story.
Atmosphere - 5
This is the best point of the book, it gives so many tiny details that all build on each other like the food, tents, clothes, Shazi making the wrong kind of bread. It was very visual and I didn't have any trouble imagining what was happening. With how flowery the writing is, the setting and descriptions still felt very grounded.
Plot - 4
I can say I'm happy this book didn't end in a big war. I don't feel that would've fit the story, but the plot definitely had the option to go that way and I'm glad it swerved away. It's not the most complex, but the showcase is more about the writing anyway. If there was more going on I think it might have taken away from the vibes of the story. I also enjoyed the plot with Despina.
Ending - 4.5
I guessed the final sacrifice early on, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.
Style - 4
The writing is flowery but still connected to the setting and characters, which imo is the only way to do it successfully. The metaphors don't feel like out of context connections that the characters wouldn't make etc. It was easy to get wrapped up in, and I like when stories can suck me in.
Overall - 4
I really flew through this audiobook. I enjoyed the writing, and even though I didn't remember much of the plot from the first book going in, I picked up on what was happening quickly. This duology gives me soapy, melodramatic vibes but in an endearing way.
Start - 3
This is the lowest rating for me simply because it took me some time to remember the side characters and where the plot left off from the first book, but the writing really swept me in and allowed me to figure it out.
Characters - 3.5
I really enjoy these characters. They have over the top moments and the relationship between the main characters isn't the most believable, but again its a soap opera. I think I was able to accept the characters as they were written because of the writing style, it's flowery and not trying to be "gritty" and "hard-hitting." It works for this story.
Atmosphere - 5
This is the best point of the book, it gives so many tiny details that all build on each other like the food, tents, clothes, Shazi making the wrong kind of bread. It was very visual and I didn't have any trouble imagining what was happening. With how flowery the writing is, the setting and descriptions still felt very grounded.
Plot - 4
Ending - 4.5
I guessed the final sacrifice early on, but it was still a satisfying conclusion.
Style - 4
The writing is flowery but still connected to the setting and characters, which imo is the only way to do it successfully. The metaphors don't feel like out of context connections that the characters wouldn't make etc. It was easy to get wrapped up in, and I like when stories can suck me in.
Overall - 4
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Enjoyment - 3.75
This has an interesting premise and pulls in different mythical creatures that aren't typically shown in most media. I think that fits well with the themes. This book is definitely a message book rather than a fantasy focused one and its setting is a contemporary Portland. The lives of the teenagers seem to be fairly normal, just with the occasional magical creature thrown in. I like this combination of real and fantasy, it just was hard to get a full grasp of how these magical aspects fit into our real world. This is partly because the main perspectives aren't outsiders to this world and and their first person narrative doesn't tend to offer more information beyond what is needed for the scene at hand. There are leaps that I could make though considering the real-world conflicts this book touches on, so I could work through what some of the mythical aspects are supposed to represent. Granted, it didn't feel like we got to see a lot of magic being used because Tavia is trying to hide hers and Effie doesn't know what hers even is. Mainly, I feel like this book would have been able to hit harder if it had an extra 100 pages. It jumped from point to point so quickly that I really wanted some of the books scenes to have breathing space. It also hit a lot of its points on the head and felt like it didn't trust me as the reader to understand the metaphors of the magic, particularly how the siren voices relate to the voices of black women. However, some people might want that overt messaging. The best part of this book by far were the characterizations of Tav and Effie.
Start - 3.75
I liked the start, it really drops you in the world and expects you to pick up the magical creatures as you go. The magic comes second to the struggles of being a black girl in America, and I think from the opening the book is clear on that point. I also think that Tavia's struggles with her siren nature are introduced really well.
Characters - 3
I really like Tavia and Effie. They are so specific and youget to know a lot of details about their lives from their hair to interests, to how they feel about their family relationships. They felt very real and I love when characters have those small traits about them that bring them to life. For Effie it was her itchy skin, while for her the issue is magic related, it was described so realistically. Maybe it helped that this time of year my skin absolutely hates me as well, but I digress. For Tavia, I enjoyed her talking about her love of hair, and youtube, and choir. Their sisterhood and love is also very real and I liked getting to see such a healthy depiction of friendship. The reason that this category is lower than what it sounds like it should be is because all of the side characters fell flat. They felt far more 2 dimensional in comparison, especially when they're put up against Tavia and Effie and how fleshed out they were.
Atmosphere - 3.5
Like I said early, I like the idea of combining these mythical beings and the modern world. I even like how a lot of the creatures had twists to them and weren't cookie-cutter from the myths. I just didn't like the full execution of how these elements were conveyed to the reader. Some of it felt like it was more confusing than it needed to be and some felt like pieces of information were missing. Personally, the Eloko's didn't feel fleshed out. Not that it felt like the author didn't know how they interacted with the world, just that it wasn't written very specific. They seem to be liked by everyone but how their power works and why people are okay with what seems like influence over others (but not being okay with the influence of sirens) I wish had more time to be explored.
Plot - 2
This is the lowest score and the main contributor to my overall feelings. This book is pretty short for how much ground it's trying to cover. This leads it to feel like it jumps from major-plot-point to major-plot-point. It doesn't have the smaller scenes that let its ideas and plot develop fully. It also jumps time a lot moving us forward too rapidly. The fact that it is also told in first person perspective gives some of the scenes a more stream of consciousness feel which sometimes seems to lead the focus of the reader towards non important things. Which can make some of what it talks about confusing, like "why are we now here when we were just there?" Hopefully my description even makes sense XD. If not we can all be jumbled together.
Ending - 3.75
I think it's resolved too quickly and some of its points I don't feel were foreshadowed enough, but I like the idea of how all of these points came together by the end. I could see why they were all brought up by the end, but like I said earlier another 100 pages I really think would've done this story a service.
Style - 2.5
Combined with the stream of consciousness feel, so many plot points it was trying to cover, plus the sometimes heavy-handed writing, it didn't feel like the strongest part. I enjoyed pieces of it, mostly when we got to see the girls experiencing their magic. Those moments felt compelling. I also really liked the writing involving the little kid statues in the park, how they got there and the resolution that comes from them. Those moments were some of my favorite. They felt really grounded and unique.
Overall - 3
This has an interesting premise and pulls in different mythical creatures that aren't typically shown in most media. I think that fits well with the themes. This book is definitely a message book rather than a fantasy focused one and its setting is a contemporary Portland. The lives of the teenagers seem to be fairly normal, just with the occasional magical creature thrown in. I like this combination of real and fantasy, it just was hard to get a full grasp of how these magical aspects fit into our real world. This is partly because the main perspectives aren't outsiders to this world and and their first person narrative doesn't tend to offer more information beyond what is needed for the scene at hand. There are leaps that I could make though considering the real-world conflicts this book touches on, so I could work through what some of the mythical aspects are supposed to represent. Granted, it didn't feel like we got to see a lot of magic being used because Tavia is trying to hide hers and Effie doesn't know what hers even is. Mainly, I feel like this book would have been able to hit harder if it had an extra 100 pages. It jumped from point to point so quickly that I really wanted some of the books scenes to have breathing space. It also hit a lot of its points on the head and felt like it didn't trust me as the reader to understand the metaphors of the magic, particularly how the siren voices relate to the voices of black women. However, some people might want that overt messaging. The best part of this book by far were the characterizations of Tav and Effie.
Start - 3.75
I liked the start, it really drops you in the world and expects you to pick up the magical creatures as you go. The magic comes second to the struggles of being a black girl in America, and I think from the opening the book is clear on that point. I also think that Tavia's struggles with her siren nature are introduced really well.
Characters - 3
I really like Tavia and Effie. They are so specific and youget to know a lot of details about their lives from their hair to interests, to how they feel about their family relationships. They felt very real and I love when characters have those small traits about them that bring them to life. For Effie it was her itchy skin, while for her the issue is magic related, it was described so realistically. Maybe it helped that this time of year my skin absolutely hates me as well, but I digress. For Tavia, I enjoyed her talking about her love of hair, and youtube, and choir. Their sisterhood and love is also very real and I liked getting to see such a healthy depiction of friendship. The reason that this category is lower than what it sounds like it should be is because all of the side characters fell flat. They felt far more 2 dimensional in comparison, especially when they're put up against Tavia and Effie and how fleshed out they were.
Atmosphere - 3.5
Like I said early, I like the idea of combining these mythical beings and the modern world. I even like how a lot of the creatures had twists to them and weren't cookie-cutter from the myths. I just didn't like the full execution of how these elements were conveyed to the reader. Some of it felt like it was more confusing than it needed to be and some felt like pieces of information were missing. Personally, the Eloko's didn't feel fleshed out. Not that it felt like the author didn't know how they interacted with the world, just that it wasn't written very specific. They seem to be liked by everyone but how their power works and why people are okay with what seems like influence over others (but not being okay with the influence of sirens) I wish had more time to be explored.
Plot - 2
This is the lowest score and the main contributor to my overall feelings. This book is pretty short for how much ground it's trying to cover. This leads it to feel like it jumps from major-plot-point to major-plot-point. It doesn't have the smaller scenes that let its ideas and plot develop fully. It also jumps time a lot moving us forward too rapidly. The fact that it is also told in first person perspective gives some of the scenes a more stream of consciousness feel which sometimes seems to lead the focus of the reader towards non important things. Which can make some of what it talks about confusing, like "why are we now here when we were just there?" Hopefully my description even makes sense XD. If not we can all be jumbled together.
Ending - 3.75
I think it's resolved too quickly and some of its points I don't feel were foreshadowed enough, but I like the idea of how all of these points came together by the end. I could see why they were all brought up by the end, but like I said earlier another 100 pages I really think would've done this story a service.
Style - 2.5
Combined with the stream of consciousness feel, so many plot points it was trying to cover, plus the sometimes heavy-handed writing, it didn't feel like the strongest part. I enjoyed pieces of it, mostly when we got to see the girls experiencing their magic. Those moments felt compelling. I also really liked the writing involving the little kid statues in the park, how they got there and the resolution that comes from them. Those moments were some of my favorite. They felt really grounded and unique.
Overall - 3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death of parent, Hate crime, Police brutality, Murder, Racism, and Grief
Some of these tags seem like they'd be quite intense, but the book handles them all in a way where they aren't in such explicit detail or over sensational. I think high schoolers would be able to handle the content of this book, they might just need to talk about some of it afterwards.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Enjoyment - 4
From what I've seen from other reviewers, this book is a turning point for whether or not readers like the direction that the series is heading. Some think that it changed for the worse, I would have to say I'm in the camp of enjoying this installment the best so far. This additional felt more magical and had some more horror-esq vibes, which I was in to. It also felt more grown up, which is definitely a different tone from the first two books. The setting was also more interesting and we finally got a ton of history for the world that the story is set in. That history and the exploration of Celaena's past was a lot of fun to read.
Start - 3.5
These books always seem to take me a minute to get fully into and the story seems to take a minute to get going as well. For this book it was in part because of Celaena's mental state, but I still remember this beginning a lot more than Crown of Midnights.
Characters - 4
There were some new additions to the cast, so I'm going to rank them each individually.
Celaena - Still the most interesting and she has a really big character arc in this book that was satisfying to go through. Learning about her history and seeing some flashback scenes really helped develop the world.
Manon - Next fave. I love the animal companion trope in books and Manon's storyline is filled to the brim with that. I also liked her morally gray nature and the expansion of the world the witches brought. It also gave us insight to more of the King's plans, which were very much needed. Plus she has a sick costume what can I say.
Chaol - Now, Chaol seems to be the punching bag of this series and here I would have to say, "No". Bro is literally the only thing keeping the plot going in Rifthold and actually taking steps to figure out the King's power. Without Chaol, no one would know how the King banished magic. This doesn't mean that I want him and Celaena together or that that's why I'm on his side. I'm on his side because for all the talk Dorian and Aedion and everyone seem to give about not being on Celaena's side, Chaol is the only one taking actions that will actually help her for when she gets back. Plus, he is the only one who remembered to let Eyllwe know that a certain person was back.
I said what I said. And in Crown of Midnight, he went back for the dog.
Rowan - Very broody, I like the back and forth between him and Celaena. No real strong opinions have been formed where he's concerned. I would like to see some interactions between him and the other Fae that he's known for centuries. I think that would give me better insight into who he really is.
Aedion - I like the connection he has to Celaena and to Terrasen. That's the extent of my opinions on him.
Dorian - Bro what were you even doing. He felt very bratty. Call it an unpopular opinion and I get he's got certain things going on at the moment, but so does everyone. Let's face it, someone had to be at the bottom of this list and he made it easy.
Atmosphere - 4
This book had the best vibes in the series so far. I love a good forest setting and this is that book. I really enjoyed getting to learn about some other creatures in the world like the Fae. I have to say one of my favorite parts was the storytelling in the kitchen at night. Those were great vibes and I wish we got told more of the stories about Wendlyn.
Plot - 4.5
The plot in this was a bit slower and a lot more character driven. However, I liked the character struggles that were at the forefront of this book and how they shaped the plot.
Ending - 4.5
Really fun battle that felt liked it topped every fight scene that we've seen so far, but not so crazy that we still can't grow beyond it. There feels like there's a nice power crawl happening and hopefully that continues.
Style - 4
SJM has a writing style and she sticks to it what can I say. But I think her style best suits the fairytale nature of this book the best.
Overall - Solid 4
From what I've seen from other reviewers, this book is a turning point for whether or not readers like the direction that the series is heading. Some think that it changed for the worse, I would have to say I'm in the camp of enjoying this installment the best so far. This additional felt more magical and had some more horror-esq vibes, which I was in to. It also felt more grown up, which is definitely a different tone from the first two books. The setting was also more interesting and we finally got a ton of history for the world that the story is set in. That history and the exploration of Celaena's past was a lot of fun to read.
Start - 3.5
These books always seem to take me a minute to get fully into and the story seems to take a minute to get going as well. For this book it was in part because of Celaena's mental state, but I still remember this beginning a lot more than Crown of Midnights.
Characters - 4
There were some new additions to the cast, so I'm going to rank them each individually.
Celaena - Still the most interesting and she has a really big character arc in this book that was satisfying to go through. Learning about her history and seeing some flashback scenes really helped develop the world.
Manon - Next fave. I love the animal companion trope in books and Manon's storyline is filled to the brim with that. I also liked her morally gray nature and the expansion of the world the witches brought. It also gave us insight to more of the King's plans, which were very much needed. Plus she has a sick costume what can I say.
Chaol - Now, Chaol seems to be the punching bag of this series and here I would have to say, "No". Bro is literally the only thing keeping the plot going in Rifthold and actually taking steps to figure out the King's power. Without Chaol, no one would know how the King banished magic. This doesn't mean that I want him and Celaena together or that that's why I'm on his side. I'm on his side because for all the talk Dorian and Aedion and everyone seem to give about not being on Celaena's side, Chaol is the only one taking actions that will actually help her for when she gets back. Plus, he is the only one who remembered to let Eyllwe know that a certain person was back.
I said what I said. And in Crown of Midnight, he went back for the dog.
Rowan - Very broody, I like the back and forth between him and Celaena. No real strong opinions have been formed where he's concerned. I would like to see some interactions between him and the other Fae that he's known for centuries. I think that would give me better insight into who he really is.
Aedion - I like the connection he has to Celaena and to Terrasen. That's the extent of my opinions on him.
Dorian - Bro what were you even doing. He felt very bratty. Call it an unpopular opinion and I get he's got certain things going on at the moment, but so does everyone. Let's face it, someone had to be at the bottom of this list and he made it easy.
Atmosphere - 4
This book had the best vibes in the series so far. I love a good forest setting and this is that book. I really enjoyed getting to learn about some other creatures in the world like the Fae. I have to say one of my favorite parts was the storytelling in the kitchen at night. Those were great vibes and I wish we got told more of the stories about Wendlyn.
Plot - 4.5
The plot in this was a bit slower and a lot more character driven. However, I liked the character struggles that were at the forefront of this book and how they shaped the plot.
Ending - 4.5
Really fun battle that felt liked it topped every fight scene that we've seen so far, but not so crazy that we still can't grow beyond it. There feels like there's a nice power crawl happening and hopefully that continues.
Style - 4
SJM has a writing style and she sticks to it what can I say. But I think her style best suits the fairytale nature of this book the best.
Overall - Solid 4
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Colonisation, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and War
Minor: Vomit
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The audiobook is the way to go for this story since it's narrated by President Obama himself. He brings raw emotion and true reflection to his words. It makes the events of the times more vivid.
I was 9 years old when he was elected to office. All of the events this book talks about happened in the peripheral of my childhood. Being a child, I never realized the shear imact and devastation the financial crisis had on not only America, but the world. The amount of weight that added to his presidency was intense. But I appreciated hearing the amount of detail he gave about the thoughts and feelings from him, his staff, members of congress, the media, and the public. It covered a lot of the opinions of the age. Hearing about how his team handled so many crises made me respect their intellect and attention to detail. They were truly experts in their respective fields and the media coverage during this time really watered that fact down. (I still think it waters it down to this day.) It was wild to see how every crisis bled into each other. There was no room to breathe. Even though this covered 4 years it read like it was only a few months, which I imagine is how it felt to those at the White House. It also made me think about how the presidency is so much of acting on the defensive and dealing with problems that are almost always out of their control, but they're there to do the best that they can. Honestly, it's impressive how much actually got done with everything that was going on. From BP's oil spill, unrest in Egypt and Libya, the financial crisis, Greece's debt that threatened to unravel the EU, the Tea Party, the housing and motor crisis, to Bin Laden. That's a ton and yet congress still got so many other polices done in that first term.
This book gets 5 stars for a few key reasons. First, it's extremely detailed. Obama wasn't known for shirking the details of plans (sometimes to his detriment) and it's no exception here. But, that's exactly what I wanted. Give me all the details, tell me all the major players and their backgrounds, elaborate on the context to every situation. This book delivers on that without being confusing or feeling messy. That leads me to point two. It's extremely well written. Like I said, there's a lot of detail, from names of people to policies, but it never felt overwhelming. Third, it's reflective. He acknowledged where he could have done better and he knows what he got right. It's balanced realism with the ability to hope for a better future. Which in one sentence is how I would describe Obama's mindset.
Lastly it's everything I expected going in, and as usual, President Obama put in the hard work and it paid off.
I was 9 years old when he was elected to office. All of the events this book talks about happened in the peripheral of my childhood. Being a child, I never realized the shear imact and devastation the financial crisis had on not only America, but the world. The amount of weight that added to his presidency was intense. But I appreciated hearing the amount of detail he gave about the thoughts and feelings from him, his staff, members of congress, the media, and the public. It covered a lot of the opinions of the age. Hearing about how his team handled so many crises made me respect their intellect and attention to detail. They were truly experts in their respective fields and the media coverage during this time really watered that fact down. (I still think it waters it down to this day.) It was wild to see how every crisis bled into each other. There was no room to breathe. Even though this covered 4 years it read like it was only a few months, which I imagine is how it felt to those at the White House. It also made me think about how the presidency is so much of acting on the defensive and dealing with problems that are almost always out of their control, but they're there to do the best that they can. Honestly, it's impressive how much actually got done with everything that was going on. From BP's oil spill, unrest in Egypt and Libya, the financial crisis, Greece's debt that threatened to unravel the EU, the Tea Party, the housing and motor crisis, to Bin Laden. That's a ton and yet congress still got so many other polices done in that first term.
This book gets 5 stars for a few key reasons. First, it's extremely detailed. Obama wasn't known for shirking the details of plans (sometimes to his detriment) and it's no exception here. But, that's exactly what I wanted. Give me all the details, tell me all the major players and their backgrounds, elaborate on the context to every situation. This book delivers on that without being confusing or feeling messy. That leads me to point two. It's extremely well written. Like I said, there's a lot of detail, from names of people to policies, but it never felt overwhelming. Third, it's reflective. He acknowledged where he could have done better and he knows what he got right. It's balanced realism with the ability to hope for a better future. Which in one sentence is how I would describe Obama's mindset.
Lastly it's everything I expected going in, and as usual, President Obama put in the hard work and it paid off.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
It's hard for me to give this book a rating. It took me a while to finish. It wasn't a fun/entertaining read. It caused me a lot of anxiety while reading it actually and I really wanted to just stop. But, those negative feelings weren't because this was a bad book, it was because it was obvious that the inspiration behind it came from the very real and personal experiences of Colleen Hoover and her family. What this books discusses is real and I do think there are some important sentences that would help a lot of people. It's just a hard read and not one I would recommend for everyone. Because of the real inspiration behind this story I don't feel comfortable rating it, I feel like it just deserves to exist without me putting a number of stars onto it.
Major trigger warnings for domestic abuse.
Major trigger warnings for domestic abuse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, Infertility, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
Know these warnings before going into this book. I don't believe in spoilers for this read because this isn't a book you're going to be reading for fun or entertainment. This book could be cathartic for some and deeply triggering/anxiety inducing for others. Just be aware of your limits and what you are really wanting to read.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
Review finally happening!
Enjoyment - 4
I liked this sequel more than I liked the first book, but less than I liked the novellas. The novellas showed how well edited and precise this series' writing could be, but I haven't seen that kind of writing since the novellas so far. This sequel did feel like a necessary part of Celaena's story and not like a filler book, so props for not falling into that trend like some other YA books have. Celaena's character also deepened in an interesting way when we learned more about her backstory. I had already been spoiled for her backstory, but I still found the rollout of it in the story convincing if not a bit predictable. What I didn't enjoy as much were some of the character decisions that were made with Nehemia's character arc. That's where my overall enjoyment ticked down.I don't believe that anyone would sacrifice their life just to give another person "motivation" especially because of how drastic of a decision that is. That wasn't realistic to the character imo, especially with how intelligent Nehemia is written to be, I think she would have found another way. All of that is compounded with the fact that Nehemia was the only poc character in the story and she was killed off.
Start - 3
The start of this book was fine. Nothing super memorable happened during the beginning and most of it was building on the romance. I will say it wasn't a slow read to get through the beginning, so it gets a 3.
Characters - 3.75
I liked Celaena in this installment. We got to see more of her assassin skills and we got to see her fear. That made her reactions to situations interesting because she does have times where she is a coward and not just a straight foreword "super brave" hero. This book rounded her out as a character for me. I also liked Chaol in this book. He's not a super favorite of mine, but compared to Dorian (who acted pretty immature) was more interesting to be around. I get Dorian's stress and immaturity, but I can't say he was at all a good friend to anyone in this book really. Nehemiah was barely around in this, which I wish wasn't the case. Considering the friendship Celaena and Nehemia built in the first book, I would have liked to see more of their interactions and more of the growing strife
between them.
Atmosphere - 3.75
We're still in the castle, and I can't say it's my favorite setting. I tend to like it more when the characters venture outside of the castle setting and see more of Rifthold.
Plot - 3.75
My favorite point in the story was Baba Yellowlegs. Those were some fun scenes. The plot doesn't really pick up until the halfway point, then we get some hints at the King being suspicious (as he obviously) is, Dorian has his own side plot start, then the main plot is when Celaena is ordered to kill someone as she is the King's champion now. This order complicates her situation quite a bit. Laying it all out like this, there is quite a bit going on and that was some basic bullet points, however it doesn't feel like an overwhelming amount of stuff thrown into the plot. Plus information is rolled out in a way that feels semi-naturally, sometimes a bit too much just told rather than shown.
Ending - 4
This ending has a lot of things pop off, which makes it an entertaining read. There were some reveals, some added questions, some betrayals. It all ties together and kicks off the situation for the next book, as one would expect it to do, but I don't feel like any of the plot was dropped. There were some satisfying fight scenes as well.
Style - 3.5
Typically SJM writing style, except younger, more YA version.
Overall - 3.7 rounded 4
I liked this sequel more than I liked the first book, but less than I liked the novellas. The novellas showed how well edited and precise this series' writing could be, but I haven't seen that kind of writing since the novellas so far. This sequel did feel like a necessary part of Celaena's story and not like a filler book, so props for not falling into that trend like some other YA books have. Celaena's character also deepened in an interesting way when we learned more about her backstory. I had already been spoiled for her backstory, but I still found the rollout of it in the story convincing if not a bit predictable. What I didn't enjoy as much were some of the character decisions that were made with Nehemia's character arc. That's where my overall enjoyment ticked down.
Start - 3
The start of this book was fine. Nothing super memorable happened during the beginning and most of it was building on the romance. I will say it wasn't a slow read to get through the beginning, so it gets a 3.
Characters - 3.75
I liked Celaena in this installment. We got to see more of her assassin skills and we got to see her fear. That made her reactions to situations interesting because she does have times where she is a coward and not just a straight foreword "super brave" hero. This book rounded her out as a character for me. I also liked Chaol in this book. He's not a super favorite of mine, but compared to Dorian (who acted pretty immature) was more interesting to be around. I get Dorian's stress and immaturity, but I can't say he was at all a good friend to anyone in this book really. Nehemiah was barely around in this, which I wish wasn't the case. Considering the friendship Celaena and Nehemia built in the first book, I would have liked to see more of their interactions and more of the growing strife
between them.
Atmosphere - 3.75
We're still in the castle, and I can't say it's my favorite setting. I tend to like it more when the characters venture outside of the castle setting and see more of Rifthold.
Plot - 3.75
My favorite point in the story was Baba Yellowlegs. Those were some fun scenes. The plot doesn't really pick up until the halfway point, then we get some hints at the King being suspicious (as he obviously) is, Dorian has his own side plot start, then the main plot is when Celaena is ordered to kill someone as she is the King's champion now. This order complicates her situation quite a bit. Laying it all out like this, there is quite a bit going on and that was some basic bullet points, however it doesn't feel like an overwhelming amount of stuff thrown into the plot. Plus information is rolled out in a way that feels semi-naturally, sometimes a bit too much just told rather than shown.
Ending - 4
This ending has a lot of things pop off, which makes it an entertaining read. There were some reveals, some added questions, some betrayals. It all ties together and kicks off the situation for the next book, as one would expect it to do, but I don't feel like any of the plot was dropped. There were some satisfying fight scenes as well.
Style - 3.5
Typically SJM writing style, except younger, more YA version.
Overall - 3.7 rounded 4
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Blood, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery
This series is the upper range of YA. Personally, I don't believe I would've had any issues reading this book and its content when I was in high school, but it doesn't hurt to be aware. There is a lot more assassin things and murder in this book than the previous two. This is a spoiler, however, this book does have the "women in refrigerators" trope except it's the death of a POC woman to further a white woman's character development. It doesn't help that Nehemia is the only character who is black in this book. So, if you don't want to read that trope, now you know it's there.
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-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? No
4.0
Enjoyment - 4.5
This book was a surprise. It was a random library pickup because I wanted to read nore classic YAish fantasy, and I quite enjoyed it. It's a standalone and leans heavily into the chosen one trope, which I haven't read a true chosen one story in a hot minute. It is also a trope that I find to be satisfying with lots of payoffs. I can also see the bones and influence this story had on modern YA fantasies, and I like seeing other authors' influences. This does have its dated themes that will lower some of the enjoyment, particularly in the beginning.
Start - 3.5
It has heavy colonialism tendencies and white saviorish feelings. I'm telling you this at the start because I didn't know going in and I know others would like to know that beforehand. It's dated and had my eyes rolling, but if you're looking for classic YA and still want to try this out, once the beginning was it was easier to sink into the world and characters. The beginning was my least favorite section, but that just means it got better as it went on.
Characters - 4
Harry is an interesting protagonist. She obviously follows some typical "chosen one" plot beats, but her feelings about the events happening around her jumped out as very clear to me. She has a lot to process, but she's also honest about the things she doesn't want to process in the moment. She is also interesting because she was never presented as a damsel even when she was in distress. Plus there was a very stereotypical damsely kind of scene that happens as the inciting incident, but in honesty, those scenes where just fun because I wasn't expected anything like that to happen. She also was always expected to have to take up responsibility and fight. Plus she has a cat and what more can I really ask for besides that.
Corlath, now he was a perspective I did not expect to get, but I'm glad we did. He was described as having a power that made him overly aggressive and easy to anger, but I didn't feel that when we saw him interact that he was overly angry at all. He actually had, I feel, the right amount of frustration and anger considering the situation he was in. His interactions with Harry and the others, he seemed quite friendly and quiet.
Atmosphere - 4
The setting starts in a secluded, desert town. Normally, I really do not vibe with desert settings (I'm looking directly at you Nevernight). I think it has to do with me being more interested in oceans and forests, however, in this book I felt like there was a real love towards the desert and mountainous surroundings that was easy to feel and buy into. The heat of the desert and harshness that can come with it wasn't presented as an inherent antagonist to the characters. I think this feeling was also why I enjoyed the desert setting in An Ember in the Ashes. The desert is the most stand out setting, the rest was more basic and stereotypical forests.
Plot - 3
The plot here is not a complex one, but I think that'd do well for those who aren't wanting an epic fantasy. It follows the chosen one arc, while have training scenes that were enjoyable. There was also some slight romance and tension, but not overly done. It was a simple, easy plot.
Ending - 3.5
The battle wasn't very long for how life threatening the antagonist was made out to be. But with this story, the battle wasn't the main focus in my opinion. Harry and Corlath were and they were fun. So I'll forgive a lackluster ending.
Style - 4
There were some intersting writing choices that were done. POVs will switch within the same chapter, and sometimes from paragraph to paragraph. That might seen extreme, and the first time it happens you might have to double read to understand that the perspective changed. But, for how short of a book this is, I found it to be helpful to get all the info we need in a timely manner. Sonce I'm nosey by nature, I like knowing what everyone is thinking, but I'm not patient enough to want or need a full chapter dedicated to a POV. So, this worked for me and I was surprised at how it didn't end up confusing me.
Overall - 3.8 rounded 4
This book was a surprise. It was a random library pickup because I wanted to read nore classic YAish fantasy, and I quite enjoyed it. It's a standalone and leans heavily into the chosen one trope, which I haven't read a true chosen one story in a hot minute. It is also a trope that I find to be satisfying with lots of payoffs. I can also see the bones and influence this story had on modern YA fantasies, and I like seeing other authors' influences. This does have its dated themes that will lower some of the enjoyment, particularly in the beginning.
Start - 3.5
It has heavy colonialism tendencies and white saviorish feelings. I'm telling you this at the start because I didn't know going in and I know others would like to know that beforehand. It's dated and had my eyes rolling, but if you're looking for classic YA and still want to try this out, once the beginning was it was easier to sink into the world and characters. The beginning was my least favorite section, but that just means it got better as it went on.
Characters - 4
Harry is an interesting protagonist. She obviously follows some typical "chosen one" plot beats, but her feelings about the events happening around her jumped out as very clear to me. She has a lot to process, but she's also honest about the things she doesn't want to process in the moment. She is also interesting because she was never presented as a damsel even when she was in distress. Plus there was a very stereotypical damsely kind of scene that happens as the inciting incident, but in honesty, those scenes where just fun because I wasn't expected anything like that to happen. She also was always expected to have to take up responsibility and fight. Plus she has a cat and what more can I really ask for besides that.
Corlath, now he was a perspective I did not expect to get, but I'm glad we did. He was described as having a power that made him overly aggressive and easy to anger, but I didn't feel that when we saw him interact that he was overly angry at all. He actually had, I feel, the right amount of frustration and anger considering the situation he was in. His interactions with Harry and the others, he seemed quite friendly and quiet.
Atmosphere - 4
The setting starts in a secluded, desert town. Normally, I really do not vibe with desert settings (I'm looking directly at you Nevernight). I think it has to do with me being more interested in oceans and forests, however, in this book I felt like there was a real love towards the desert and mountainous surroundings that was easy to feel and buy into. The heat of the desert and harshness that can come with it wasn't presented as an inherent antagonist to the characters. I think this feeling was also why I enjoyed the desert setting in An Ember in the Ashes. The desert is the most stand out setting, the rest was more basic and stereotypical forests.
Plot - 3
The plot here is not a complex one, but I think that'd do well for those who aren't wanting an epic fantasy. It follows the chosen one arc, while have training scenes that were enjoyable. There was also some slight romance and tension, but not overly done. It was a simple, easy plot.
Ending - 3.5
The battle wasn't very long for how life threatening the antagonist was made out to be. But with this story, the battle wasn't the main focus in my opinion. Harry and Corlath were and they were fun. So I'll forgive a lackluster ending.
Style - 4
There were some intersting writing choices that were done. POVs will switch within the same chapter, and sometimes from paragraph to paragraph. That might seen extreme, and the first time it happens you might have to double read to understand that the perspective changed. But, for how short of a book this is, I found it to be helpful to get all the info we need in a timely manner. Sonce I'm nosey by nature, I like knowing what everyone is thinking, but I'm not patient enough to want or need a full chapter dedicated to a POV. So, this worked for me and I was surprised at how it didn't end up confusing me.
Overall - 3.8 rounded 4
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Colonisation, and Kidnapping
Minor: Blood
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Enjoyment - 5
Really solid stories and interesting characters. Their personalities were pretty clear and didn't waver. All five of the short stories were entertaining. It took me about a week to finish, which is fast for me especially considering how busy this past week was. I enjoyed this collection more than Throne of Glass, but I'll do a reread of that and see if my original score stays.
Start - 4
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord was a good start to the journey that Celaena goes through. She feels quite young at the beginning compared to the end. This gets a 4 though because this novella was my least favorite of the bunch. Least favorite in character interactions, but I enjoyed the setting and descriptions so it gets a 4.
Characters - 5
The character personalities were again clear and understandable. My favorite interactions where in the Assassin and the Underworld novella. Celaena and Arobynn's relationship is so complicated and every interaction between the two of them is charged. The characters were one of my favorite parts.
Atmosphere - 4
Overall the descriptions were very clear and I could picture each environment Celaena found herself in. I just can't help that deserts usually make me not as interested. (Maybe it's just leftover bitterness from those first 100 pages of Nevernight).
Plot - 5
Each short story was succinct and moved Celaena forward to her ending/beginning. The plot kept me entertained without droning on. It was just enough info given to understand where it was going without dragging out the pace.
Ending - 5
Ending was great and painful. You could see it coming, but that made the tension of waiting for the final domino to fall more impactful.
Style - 3
This gets the least amount of stars from me, not because the writing was bad, it just wasn't trying to do anything different or amazingly unique. This story didn't need highly stylized writing though, so don't think the rating I gave it means I think it's bad. I just think it's straightforward, which probably helped make it such a fast read.
Overall - 4.5 stars
Rankings of the short stories from favorite to least favorite. They all were pretty solid and interesting.
1. The Underworld
2. The Empire
3. The Desert
4. The Healer
5. The Pirate Lord
Really solid stories and interesting characters. Their personalities were pretty clear and didn't waver. All five of the short stories were entertaining. It took me about a week to finish, which is fast for me especially considering how busy this past week was. I enjoyed this collection more than Throne of Glass, but I'll do a reread of that and see if my original score stays.
Start - 4
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord was a good start to the journey that Celaena goes through. She feels quite young at the beginning compared to the end. This gets a 4 though because this novella was my least favorite of the bunch. Least favorite in character interactions, but I enjoyed the setting and descriptions so it gets a 4.
Characters - 5
The character personalities were again clear and understandable. My favorite interactions where in the Assassin and the Underworld novella. Celaena and Arobynn's relationship is so complicated and every interaction between the two of them is charged. The characters were one of my favorite parts.
Atmosphere - 4
Overall the descriptions were very clear and I could picture each environment Celaena found herself in. I just can't help that deserts usually make me not as interested. (Maybe it's just leftover bitterness from those first 100 pages of Nevernight).
Plot - 5
Each short story was succinct and moved Celaena forward to her ending/beginning. The plot kept me entertained without droning on. It was just enough info given to understand where it was going without dragging out the pace.
Ending - 5
Ending was great and painful. You could see it coming, but that made the tension of waiting for the final domino to fall more impactful.
Style - 3
This gets the least amount of stars from me, not because the writing was bad, it just wasn't trying to do anything different or amazingly unique. This story didn't need highly stylized writing though, so don't think the rating I gave it means I think it's bad. I just think it's straightforward, which probably helped make it such a fast read.
Overall - 4.5 stars
Rankings of the short stories from favorite to least favorite. They all were pretty solid and interesting.
1. The Underworld
2. The Empire
3. The Desert
4. The Healer
5. The Pirate Lord
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Violence, Slavery, Murder, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Enjoyment - 3
The second half I enjoyed better than the first. This book did put me into a major reading slump where I had to put it down for months before finishing it.
Start - 2.75
I started reading this back in February of 2022 and that's when it put me into a reading slump. Granted that mainly happened because of what happens to a certain characters mom early on in the book.I am very tired of the parents being killed off in YA. Especially since Karina and her mom had an interesting dynamic that I wish was explored more. It also doesn't help that her death happened right as I was beginning to be invested in their relationship. There wasn't much else in Karina's character that felt unique and outside of other YA books.
Characters - 3.5
Here's the interesting part about this book, it takes a very common trope in YA and flips it on its head. The trope is "poor girl trying to survive in a brutal world gets thrust into the wealthy (potentially royal) side of the world and she meets a bruding prince that is mysterious yet alluring." I'm thinking Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, Crier's War, that kind of setup. Which I liked those books when I read them, so this isn't a knock against that trope. The difference with this book is that Malik is our outsider who's trying to survive while not being accepted in this society and Karina is our brooding princess. I really like this changing of perspective. It gives the trope a different flair.
I really connected with Malik. He felt unique to the genre and is a character you don't see very often. It was nice seeing a teenage boy be represented in YA fantasy especially since he was also dealing with anxiety. I also thought that was depicted realistically. He is also going through a lot in this book. His sister has been kidnapped and to get her back he has to assassinate Karina. Plus he is thrusted into this game where his true identity has to be hidden because the Eshran people are highly discriminated against. That's a lot for one teenager to have on their plate, but when you add all of that with the second perspective of Karina, who is also dealing with a lot, it becomes too much.
This caused me to not connect as much to Karina, partly because she felt like a character that I have read and seen before in this genre already. It also didn't help that the specific scene that made me not want to continue reading happened in her perspective(being the murder of her mom).
What I wish would have happened is for this book to be from one perspective. I think it would have kept the plot more straightforward and allowed more time to deepen the characters. Plus it would have kept Karina a mystery where the reader is with Malik on whether or not she could be trusted.
Atmosphere - 3.5
I like the world and the history behind it, but it still felt surface level in some areas. Maybe this was caused by jumping perspectives, I never felt truly grounded in the character I was reading from.
Plot - 3.5
Like I said before, there's a lot for both teens to deal with and it felt like too much going on where we'd have to move through issues too quickly to fit it all in. I liked Karina's item fetch quest the least. I would have been okay with her doing that in the background.
Ending - 4
Listen, I know a four here might be surprising based on what I've said already, and maybe I was being too harsh on this book, but after not picking it up for a few months, I was able to get my mind in the right head space to finish. I needed to lower my expectations and just let it be what it is and that allowed me to enjoy my time reading the second half more. I still wish the changes that I wrote above were in the final version, but they aren't. So I tried to just let it be so I didn't get put back into another slump.
Style - 2.5
The style was pretty straightforward sometimes a little too much. As far as writing style goes, I didn't feel like there was much difference between Malik and Karina's perspectives. Sure the content that they were thinking about was different, but the way it was presented wasn't.
I might pick up the sequel through the library.
Overall - 3.25
~~~~~~~~~~
So I came back after months of dnfing, and I did finish it. That has to count for something. I enjoyed the back half more than the first half, but a more in depth review will come later. For now,
~~~~~~~~~~
My plan is to come back to this book eventually, but maybe that's just my completionist heart talking. I gave it two months and now I feel as though I'm in a reading slump. The main drive for this that I can pinpoint is thekilling off the mom trope. This was when my enjoyment plummeted. I think I would enjoy the story more if it was just from Malik pov rather than both him and Karina. He felt like a fresh perspective on some tried and true tropes where Karina felt very average. I think I would've enjoyed her plotline more as a mystery from Malik's perspective. One thing I will add, I like the twist on the trope of "from outside the world of the rich and powerful girl protag who comes in contact with the prince etc." I haven't seen a teenage boy take on this character trope and a female take on the mysterious prince trope. So I still think this would be a good story for a teen, particularly for black teenage boys who might not be finding themselves represented in YA fantasy.
The second half I enjoyed better than the first. This book did put me into a major reading slump where I had to put it down for months before finishing it.
Start - 2.75
I started reading this back in February of 2022 and that's when it put me into a reading slump. Granted that mainly happened because of what happens to a certain characters mom early on in the book.
Characters - 3.5
Here's the interesting part about this book, it takes a very common trope in YA and flips it on its head. The trope is "poor girl trying to survive in a brutal world gets thrust into the wealthy (potentially royal) side of the world and she meets a bruding prince that is mysterious yet alluring." I'm thinking Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, Crier's War, that kind of setup. Which I liked those books when I read them, so this isn't a knock against that trope. The difference with this book is that Malik is our outsider who's trying to survive while not being accepted in this society and Karina is our brooding princess. I really like this changing of perspective. It gives the trope a different flair.
I really connected with Malik. He felt unique to the genre and is a character you don't see very often. It was nice seeing a teenage boy be represented in YA fantasy especially since he was also dealing with anxiety. I also thought that was depicted realistically. He is also going through a lot in this book. His sister has been kidnapped and to get her back he has to assassinate Karina. Plus he is thrusted into this game where his true identity has to be hidden because the Eshran people are highly discriminated against. That's a lot for one teenager to have on their plate, but when you add all of that with the second perspective of Karina, who is also dealing with a lot, it becomes too much.
This caused me to not connect as much to Karina, partly because she felt like a character that I have read and seen before in this genre already. It also didn't help that the specific scene that made me not want to continue reading happened in her perspective
What I wish would have happened is for this book to be from one perspective. I think it would have kept the plot more straightforward and allowed more time to deepen the characters. Plus it would have kept Karina a mystery where the reader is with Malik on whether or not she could be trusted.
Atmosphere - 3.5
I like the world and the history behind it, but it still felt surface level in some areas. Maybe this was caused by jumping perspectives, I never felt truly grounded in the character I was reading from.
Plot - 3.5
Like I said before, there's a lot for both teens to deal with and it felt like too much going on where we'd have to move through issues too quickly to fit it all in. I liked Karina's item fetch quest the least. I would have been okay with her doing that in the background.
Ending - 4
Listen, I know a four here might be surprising based on what I've said already, and maybe I was being too harsh on this book, but after not picking it up for a few months, I was able to get my mind in the right head space to finish. I needed to lower my expectations and just let it be what it is and that allowed me to enjoy my time reading the second half more. I still wish the changes that I wrote above were in the final version, but they aren't. So I tried to just let it be so I didn't get put back into another slump.
Style - 2.5
The style was pretty straightforward sometimes a little too much. As far as writing style goes, I didn't feel like there was much difference between Malik and Karina's perspectives. Sure the content that they were thinking about was different, but the way it was presented wasn't.
I might pick up the sequel through the library.
Overall - 3.25
~~~~~~~~~~
So I came back after months of dnfing, and I did finish it. That has to count for something. I enjoyed the back half more than the first half, but a more in depth review will come later. For now,
~~~~~~~~~~
My plan is to come back to this book eventually, but maybe that's just my completionist heart talking. I gave it two months and now I feel as though I'm in a reading slump. The main drive for this that I can pinpoint is the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Colonisation, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War and Alcohol
With the trigger warnings listed, I still find their presentation in the story and how they're addressed not overly graphic or glorified. They all fall in line with the world and I think a teen reading this book wouldn't have any issues.
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It's been 10 years since I first read Fellowship, so finally getting to this book feels like a monumental task completed. And, I have to say, I liked this book more than I thought I would and I believe that if I read The Two Towers back when I was a wee bean I probably wouldn't have appreciated it as much. So, good on my younger self for knowing my brain needed more incubation time before I read more Tolkien XD (we'll just say that's what it was).
I liked the second half of the book the best. Sam and Frodo have always been my fave BFFs for life. Here's to hopefully not another decade before I get to Return of the King.
I liked the second half of the book the best. Sam and Frodo have always been my fave BFFs for life. Here's to hopefully not another decade before I get to Return of the King.