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cody_crumley's reviews
162 reviews
Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“If you are wise and lucky and live long as me, you will learn that pain is just a drop in the sea”…So feel all of it, boy, before time makes you forget”
It always seems to be a struggle to continue a series after an initial end point, and the fourth book in the Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown is no different. The first half of the book really struggled to get into gear and I think a lot of that is the introduction of having multiple POVs.
The chapters in the longest book in the series are broken up between four perspectives. Returning from the first three books is Darrow, now 10 years older after the time jump. He is still the most interesting perspective to me. Brown does a great job of showing how 10 years of war have drained this man, turned him into something he never wanted to become. You really get to see him struggle with leaving is family, and the distance that it has created between them.
The other perspectives lag behind, they include a Red named Lyria, who was brought out of the mines but feels left behind by the new Republic, Ephraim, former Aries member turned thief, and Lysander, former Lune who was next in line for the throne before the events of the first three books.
The non-Darrow perspectives get better in the second half once the plots start to develop, but the first half really struggled to get me to care about them. By the end they are all left in interesting positions that make good cliffhangers.
Overall I enjoyed coming back to this world and enjoyed the time jump, but I am still in a wait and see approach to see if continuing the series after what was a good ending in Morning Star (Book 3) was the right move.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4.0
Taylor Jenkins Reid continues being one of my favorite modern contemporary writers with Daisy Jones & The Six. The format of this book is extremely interesting. They do such a good job of making this seem like a real band, to the point that I wish I could listen to the songs they wrote in the story (they also put the lyrics in the back of the book, which is a nice touch) The main characters are well defined, with some of the surrounding characters leaving something to be desired but that dynamic also fits with the dynamic of the band.
If you have read any of Reid’s previous books, then I would definitely give it a shot, especially if you have a fascination with the rock and roll lifestyle of the 70’s, and want something that has a more happy ending then most real 70’s rock bands actually had
If you have read any of Reid’s previous books, then I would definitely give it a shot, especially if you have a fascination with the rock and roll lifestyle of the 70’s, and want something that has a more happy ending then most real 70’s rock bands actually had
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
4.0
Rereading the first book in A Song of Ice and Fire series really makes me appreciate Martin’s writing style. He says at the end in his author note that “the devil is in the details and there are a lot of devils” and I think that perfectly capsulate what makes his universe so great. Even the smallest thing matters, and how well future events are set up and the foreshadowing that is hinted at in future books without making it very obvious is wonderful.
If the shows left a bad taste in your mouth, and you have not already I can not recommend reading the books enough
If the shows left a bad taste in your mouth, and you have not already I can not recommend reading the books enough