blankpagepanic's reviews
372 reviews

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

Lord of the Empty Isles by Jules Arbeaux

adventurous emotional informative medium-paced

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

4.0

Delightful book! Dark at times, but all the better for the story of grief, pain, and identity it's telling.
The magic system is new and unique (confusing in the beginning, though), and the characters leap off the page! My favorite part was the emphasis on platonic relationships (MC is gender nonconforming/aroace), which we so rarely see explored to this degree.
My only complaint is that some characters felt a little too immature for their age at times, but overall it didn't take away too much from my enjoyment.


Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Bloody Bones by Laurell K. Hamilton

fast-paced

4.0

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-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

4.5

 

Went in with zero expectations and ended up LOVING this, need the sequel ASAP

 

Fated in Ruby by J.A. Carter

2.75

Lucy Undying: A Dracula Novel by Kiersten White

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.0

Full review to come at a later date, for now just know that if you're looking for an "epic and seductive Gothic fantasy" you won't find it here 

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

boring af

The Lunatic Cafe by LaurellK Hamilton Laurell K. Hamilton

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

To the Bone by Alena Bruzas

dark emotional informative 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

Historical fiction that absolutely reads like horror. Alena Bruzas does it again and leaves me wanting to crawl out of my skin. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Murder, Colonisation, Body horror, Mental illness, Child death, and Abortion

Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy