buttonsbeadslace's reviews
196 reviews

Miracle Motors: A Pert Near True Story by Peggy Senger Morrison

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

A Conspiracy of Truths by Alexandra Rowland

adventurous emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence

The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism

In the Stormy Red Sky by David Drake

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The official blurbs for the RCN series are always about Swashbuckling Adventure and Politics, and the books certainly do contain these things, but what keeps me coming back and makes these some of my favorite books is the found. family. tropes. The core of these books is how much the main characters love each other. 

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by Richard Lancelyn Green, E.W. Hornung

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book manages to be extremely gay without actually being explicitly gay at all. If you like unrequited pining,  plausibly deniable jealousy of your friend's girlfriends, and the overall emotional dynamic of a soldier following their beloved commanding officer on a desperate mission that's doomed to fail, Raffles and Bunny are for you.