cassiecollins's reviews
267 reviews

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was a fascinating read. At times, it was as adventurous as an Indiana Jones movie, at others, like a political drama, full of cutting words and personal machinations. From the blurb, I was hoping for a lot more information and inclusion of Sidi Mubarak Bombay, though I understand there's not nearly as much, if anything, written about him compared to Burton or Speke. This was both entertaining and informative—a wonderful combination for any non-fiction piece.

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

dark emotional mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.0

The is one of those books where the plot really isn't too much to look at, but the characters and the prose and the atmosphere are so rich and engaging that you just sink into the world and coat yourself in it all the way until the very end. Though there are points that lean more style than substance, I really enjoyed this one.

Caged in Fire by Amy Thorn

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.5

Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book. I just really don't like a previously capable character being turned into a damsel in distress for the sake of drama (adding to that multiple unnecessarily explicit

rape

scenes for shock value—blech!). A decent enough conclusion to Than and Isaac's story though.

Caged in Darkness by Amy Thorn

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I got this for free as part of Stuff Your Kindle Day. This was fun—or at least as fun as a dark romance can be. It did lean into cringey edgelord territory more often than not, but I wasn't too bothered. The tension between Isaac and Than was well done, and the more action-heavy scenes were fast-paced and exciting.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

2.5

So, I am not nor have ever been a fan of

neurodivergence and/or mental illness used as horror

. If I had known that that was what this book was before going into it, I probably wouldn't have picked it up at all. I appreciate that the author seems to have had good intentions going into it (and it definitely sounds like she did a good amount of research). However, that doesn't change the fact that this is a story couched in many thriller gimmicks and clichés, whose conflict relies entirely on creating distrust regarding

the narrator's DID

. The most frustrating part is I did genuinely enjoy the author's prose and writing style—I'm probably even going to check out her other books. I almost wish someone had just spoiled this for me. I could've saved myself the time and not gotten such a bad taste in my mouth.

Freaks of Honor by Holly Dunwall

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I got this for free as part of Stuff Your Kindle Day. In general, I liked this. The prose is rather basic, and the narrative feels like it may have been better suited for a video game. (It's not at all a LitRPG, but a combination of monster-of-the-day type encounters and more than a few fetch quests create that feeling for me.) The romance is sweet, though, and I think that's what mainly propelled my interest.

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

I do not understand the logic of spending the whole first book building up how strong and capable your female protagonist is then turning her into a near-useless damsel for the majority of the second. Like...why? Even the first series's protagonist actually got shit done herself, and she wasn't even a trained fighter! I just don't get it. Other than that, the pacing here was good—as seems to be a trend with this author, the latter half was much better than the former. Passable, overall.

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

3.5

The romance really wasn't doing much for me, which sucked since it's such a major part of the book. The second half was an improvement because it focused a lot more on the mysteries and conflicts coming together. Definitely interested in seeing how things unfold in the next book.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

3.5

The topic was definitely interesting, though I think that alone kept my focus more so than the author's prose. It's a bit outdated, and the humor didn't always land for me. I do think this is worth a read as a broad intro into anything dealing with cadavers and the various ways death and the dead are treated in different places.

The Deep by Nick Cutter

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

The build-up and atmosphere in this is absolutely choking. It's nightmarish and trippy and all the good psychological things on top of the darkness and claustrophobia of its setting. I will say there were a few too many unanswered questions by the end for my tastes. Overall, though, this is definitely a unique horror experience.