cassiecollins's reviews
267 reviews

Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I liked this! I think the author did a great job of handling a narrator who is both unreliable and a bit unlikeable. I did guess the main twist early on, but the story is just fun and twisty enough that I was invested in seeing how we'd get to the big reveal. The ending is a bit too saccharine for me, but overall it was a super fun ride from start to finish.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes, Joe Layden

funny informative lighthearted

4.5

This was such a fun read! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as Elwes's narration (plus his impeccable impersonations) along with the readings from various other members of the cast and crew really made the piece a memorable experience. It also gave a lot of great insight into the making of a film, not even just of The Princess Bride, though that colored everything, naturally. Then, of course, I had to rewatch the movie after reading this, and it really did add a little extra fun to several moments throughout knowing some of the behind-the-scenes information!

Of Ravens and Wolves by M.K. Robert

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

1.5

Well, I had hope... The narrative here was at least more interesting and dynamic, I'll give it that. But, many of the same problems prevalent in the first book are, perhaps unsurprisingly, still present here. That, in addition to the loss of any pretense of nuance in the characters and conflicts. (A smaller thing, too: I found it kind of icky that Elwyna gets so jealous over the guys sleeping with other women but not other men.)

The Shield and Axe by M.K. Robert

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

1.5

I got this for free as part of Stuff Your Kindle Day. You know those pranks where someone wraps a series of progressively smaller boxes inside of one big one, so you keep opening each smaller box hoping that this one'll be the one that has the present that you wanted, but when you finally open the last box, it's just a tiny bit of nothing if not outright empty? That's what reading this felt like. I kept hoping there'd be some nugget of goodness like the storyline or just something I could bite my teeth into, but alas. The amateurish prose just led to inconsistent characters, clunky exposition, choppy sentences, anachronistic dialog, and much more. On top of its heavy use of tropes—e.g. an overpowered heroine (who somehow still ends up a damsel in distress) with a gaggle of guys all in insta-love with her—just made for an unengaging read. I'll still probably read the second book since it's just the one and I am apparently an optimist. Here's to hoping...

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

This has been on my radar for a few years now, so I was very excited to finally read it. And, wow, did it far exceed my expectations!  The whole piece is seeped in atmosphere and full of remarkable character work. This book also hits on one of my favorite approaches to horror writing: those that are gruesome and gritty while maintaining a sort of folk-tale, otherworldly atmosphere throughout. I absolutely adored the incorporation of the second-person point-of-view. I also liked how the story often challenges you with question of who the narrative is really about, what roles the characters play in their ultimate fates, and how each individual action informs everything that follows. One of my favorites, truly.

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

This is very much a your-mileage-may-vary kind of book. It's a flimsy plot threaded together by an overload of horror tropes, references, and easter eggs (e.g., all of the titular "final girls'" backstories are lifted beat-for-beat from various slasher franchises, the main character is pretty useless until the very end, and, most unfortunate, the one black character dies first—off-page to boot). I know this sort of extreme fan-servicey stuff works for a lot of people, but it really wasn't doing much for me. It took itself way too seriously for what was clearly meant to evoke a schlocky slasher movie.

Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.5

While I still don't think this quadrilogy, overall, is the best showing from Hobb in the series, this was an excellent conclusion. We learn a lot about the dragons' magic and the Elderlings and the mysterious substance Silver. The marvelous weaving of various plot threads and character arcs that the author's known for is also present throughout the piece—so much so that I devoured the latter 300-or-so pages in one sitting!

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

I think it's important to go into this with your expectations in check. Despite what the title may imply, this isn't some grand chronology of the entire Vanderbilt family legacy; this is much more akin to a scrapbook—each chapter being a snapshot of some important event, personal and/or historical, revolving around various members of the family. The prose is very lovely and I found myself often catching on a well-written phrase or fascinating detail. However, the narrative had a tendency to meander and focus in on things that don't feel the most relevant, so the pacing dragged at times. I definitely liked Cooper's narration and the personal touches he brought to the piece, though.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

Another solid entry to the series. It was a bit jarring, though not entirely unwelcome, to suddenly have several new perspectives when we've been so focused on the expedition for two books. I enjoyed seeing Malta and Reyn again, and I'm definitely interested in how the last book will bring together the dragons at Kelsingra and all that's going on in Chalced (

my poor Selden!

).

Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

A huge improvement over the first book. Lots of excellent moments of tension and conflict between the flood and its many consequences. This still isn't my favorite cast of characters from Hobb, but they're growing on me. Sedric and Relpda's story, in particular, certainly carried this entry for me, though.