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cayenne503's Reviews (227)
Well written but slightly too slow-paced at times. Not always just some scenes. Overall a satisfying fairy tale. Kinda wanna know what happens with Irina and what’s his face.
Cute story. I didn’t give it five stars because the narration wasn’t always vibing for me. Felt like it was breaking the fourth wall too much with Hoid speaking directly to the reader and making jokes that didn’t always land. I also wish we saw more magic. Brando Sando is known for his epic magic systems but the spores in this story felt more like just part of the landscape rather than this wondrous power (contrast with stormlight, aons, allomancy). Overall happy I read it and looking forward to the other secret projects.
Mannnnn I’m so annoyed that I’m giving this 3 stars because I felt like there’s so much potential. I think the writing is good, the world building is good, the story is good. The problem I have is the tone and the pacing. Everything is written in such a way that there’s no emotion. I felt exactly the same reading about what the characters had for breakfast as I did during the climatic final battle, and every other moment that was supposed to be a Big Deal. Because it read as basically monotone, for lack of a better word, it felt like the book was wayyyy too long. I have absolutely no problem with long books but you have to make it worth it to keep turning all those pages.
3.5/5 The plot was just ok. I think the main character’s eccentricity is way over the top, but even he seems to be aware of this at some moments. I didn’t see the twist coming but also wasn’t floored by it. Not bad, well worth a 60 page quick little read.
This book reminds me of Lovecraft, both in the carefully crafted prose and in the overall weirdness. It embodies a sense of otherworldly horror that I’ve encountered in few other stories. At the halfway point, I fell asleep while reading in the middle of the night, and actually had a nightmare that I was in the story. I woke up, pretty sure I was yelling in my sleep, and was compelled to pick up the book and continue to the end.
The only reason I’m giving a 4 star rating rather than 5 is due to the writing style. It is unequivocally complex and beautiful—but sometimes, for me, so dang hard to read. That is probably more a reflection of my capabilities as a reader than a criticism of the author. I’m not sure if/when I’ll read the other books in the series. The setting is mesmerizing and I feel somewhat drawn to continue, but I also need a break from working so hard to get to the end.
The only reason I’m giving a 4 star rating rather than 5 is due to the writing style. It is unequivocally complex and beautiful—but sometimes, for me, so dang hard to read. That is probably more a reflection of my capabilities as a reader than a criticism of the author. I’m not sure if/when I’ll read the other books in the series. The setting is mesmerizing and I feel somewhat drawn to continue, but I also need a break from working so hard to get to the end.
