coca_reads's reviews
445 reviews

Malice by John Gwynne

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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

4.25

This was excellent.

Following multiple points of view, this has an ancient prophecy involving the champions of 2 mysterious Gods, Elyon's Bright Star, and Asroth's Black Sun (we don't know who either of these people are). There are also mythical creatures like Giants, giant Wolven, and the Ben-Elim, an ancient race of warrior angels.

This was very heavy on the world building, but it was done in a way that most fantasy readers don't seem to have the knack for, it was interesting and relevant to the plot as it unraveled throughout the story.

It also gave off strong vibes of some of my favorite stories from when I was a teenager, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series, and Mary Stewart's Merlin series. I don't know if it was the style of the storytelling, or the fact that all three felt very "Arthurian", but it just gave me those kinds of vibes.

I am definitely continuing this series. Waiting on book 2 to get here now.

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Picking up immediately after the end of book 1, we have Serapio recovering from his fight with the Watchers, Xiala is recovering from her loss of Serapio, and Naranpa is recovering from her death and realizing that her death and return has changed her. She feels the power of the Sun moving through her.

For me, I liked this better than book 1. The story got more into the details of the society, and how it's dealing with the reawakened Gods. 

It really digs into the characters and their backgrounds and motivations. It's definitely slower than book 1, but it feels more satisfying. 

Summers End by Juneau Black

hopeful mysterious relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.25

I love this series. 

They are the perfect "cozy" reads for me.
Once again following Vera Vixen, the star reporter (who just so happens to be a fox (literally a fox)), as she sets off to a nearby archeological site as a chaperon for one of the local schools. She's accompanied by her friend Lenora Lee, owner of Nevermore Bookshop (yes, she's a raven), and they're set for a week of lectures about the importance and historical significance of the site. Then they find the body.

These are such relaxing reads. 
The authors are very skilled at setting the atmosphere of the world they're writing about, and they fill it with creatures, big and small, who know that society requires cooperation with other people. It means getting along with people who don't look like you, and living alongside people who hold different values, but those values don't invalidate your own, and that's ok. 

Reading them is like sitting down with a nice mug of coffee and a warm muffin to just enjoy yourself and be restful.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was am excellent read. 

A fantasy set in the middle East, its filled with magic, mysterious creatures, political power plays, and a fair amount of violence. 

Following Nahri, a young woman living in Cairo, as she's trying to scrape enough to do more than just get by, she wants to train to be a physician in Constantinople. 

Then she accidentally summons a djinn and things go sideways. 

At times the world building feels slow and the pacing can't seem to find a footing throughout the story, but it's still an excellent story and I will be continuing the series. 

Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi

adventurous funny fast-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

Following the Last Colony, Zoe's Tale revisits that same plot, but from the point of view of John's and Jane's adopted, teenage, daughter,  Zoe. 

True to Scalzi's writing style, this was  fun, fast, full of wit, and absolutely binge-able. 

Definitely looking forward to book 5 soon. 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

dark funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Expertly woven story. 

Following the story of a true crime author as she's researching a series of brutal occult killings that happened decades in the past, the entire book is literally the author's notes on her research. Emails and text conversations and transcripts of phone calls. It's all laid out in a very "train of thought" method, and it slowly fills in the details of the story. 

This was an interesting and fun way to tell the story. The characters were enjoyable, and surprisingly, I did not guess where the plot was headed. 

The Black Box by Michael Connelly

mysterious tense 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

3.0

This wasn't for me. 

It wasn't badly written or anything, I just didn't like the characters much, and I didn't enjoy the plot. 

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

4.75

Amazing ending to this series.

The fight for survival as the season continues to worsen and ash covers the world. 

Essun is trying to help get her small comm of 1,000 people across the barren and ash covered landscape to an empty city where they talk now they will have stockpiles of supplies to last them for a few years while fighting the urge to go and find her daughter. There's the whole task of saving the world by catching the moon too. 

So, no pressure. 

Jemisin's characters all feel a little hard headed and cold, but I'm haven't had to learn to cope with life in that world.

Even so, the characters definitely grow on you, and the banter is excellent. The straight forward attitude of so many of them can be refreshing. 

I am so glad I decided to finally get into this series. Yes Jemisin is brilliant and I was correct to feel a little intimidated, but she didn't make me feel dumb with the way she told the story. Absolutely excellent.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

emotional hopeful inspiring sad

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

3.75

A sad book about grief and life. 

It talks about expectations we have for ourselves, and that others have for us. About ideals and plans and how those can fail and still be ok. 

It also gives the message that everyone's story is connected, and just a smaller part of the larger picture. 

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark funny tense fast-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

Clark is a seriously underrated author. 

Eveen is an assassin, an undead one, who's services are procured through contracts to kill people. These contracts must fall within the guidelines set by her Goddess to be binding, but once accepted they must be fulfilled. 

Once she sees her newest target's face, she can't bring herself to do it. 

I love Clark's characters. They're all so nuanced, and usually fun. The banter is quick and full of wit. The action and plot was intense and so engaging.