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couldbestephen's reviews
210 reviews
Book of Night by Holly Black
2.0
This book was a hard one to get through. The concept of shadow magic was a fun one, with a decent magic system behind it. The plot and characters just weren’t enough to save the story. Interesting twist at the climax, and an intriguing twist at the end that leads well to the upcoming sequel. I’m just not sure I’ll be reading it myself.
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
2.5
I’m torn in my rating for this book. It is a well written novel with a strong premise that opens the doors to more stories in this universe. But it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
“Be careful what you wish for,” is the moral of this novella. Pleasure to mortal humans may mean one thing, but to creatures from beyond, it could mean something very different. Frank, his brother Roy, Julia and Kirtsy find this out the hard way.
If your a fan of the Hellraiser movies and want to read the source material, I would give it a try. This book caters towards a specific horror audience and I can see why it has become the cult classic that it has.
“Be careful what you wish for,” is the moral of this novella. Pleasure to mortal humans may mean one thing, but to creatures from beyond, it could mean something very different. Frank, his brother Roy, Julia and Kirtsy find this out the hard way.
If your a fan of the Hellraiser movies and want to read the source material, I would give it a try. This book caters towards a specific horror audience and I can see why it has become the cult classic that it has.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
4.0
Read for a British Authors class, always fun to revisit a classic like Alice! Surrealist comedy, crazy characters, and a protagonist who’s just as lost as the reader, navigating both Wonderland and Looking Glass world.
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
3.5
The Scholomance Trilogy comes to a dazzling conclusion in The Golden Enclaves. This isn’t my favorite book in the series, but it still provided a (abet messy) end to the series.
In some ways, some parts of the book felt a little rushed, El’s powers just seemed to grow out of no where, or information was just dumped on us and you’d run with it. I’m torn between loving an OP character but also feeling a little annoyed by them because I can never feel like they’re in danger. Part of the draw of this series was danger and death lurked around every corner for the characters. You don’t really feel that way anymore, especially at the end.
There were some wonderful, really intriguing reveals that illuminate so much more of the story and character choices from the previous books.
All in all, while I may not enjoy all of the choices made in this final story, I’m still happy with how this trilogy turned out.
In some ways, some parts of the book felt a little rushed, El’s powers just seemed to grow out of no where, or information was just dumped on us and you’d run with it. I’m torn between loving an OP character but also feeling a little annoyed by them because I can never feel like they’re in danger. Part of the draw of this series was danger and death lurked around every corner for the characters. You don’t really feel that way anymore, especially at the end.
There were some wonderful, really intriguing reveals that illuminate so much more of the story and character choices from the previous books.
All in all, while I may not enjoy all of the choices made in this final story, I’m still happy with how this trilogy turned out.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
3.0
The Red Uprising continues in book two of the Red Rising trilogy.
I feel like the author has improved character building in this book. The women characters are more fleshed out and have more autonomy than in the first book. But for some reason, it feels as those Brown still can’t decide how certain characters should behave. Sometimes characters are just sidelined randomly and then brought back because of plot reason, sometimes we linger way to long with other characters, and Darrow doesn’t seem to deepen as a character much. Actually, many of the Gold characters don’t change much. Even the ones who are “the smart ones,” seem to lack any sense of nuance, which can drive you crazy. All in all, still an engaging read, Brown knows how to build suspense and write some good action. But the character development still lacks. Fun scifi vibe read.
I feel like the author has improved character building in this book. The women characters are more fleshed out and have more autonomy than in the first book. But for some reason, it feels as those Brown still can’t decide how certain characters should behave. Sometimes characters are just sidelined randomly and then brought back because of plot reason, sometimes we linger way to long with other characters, and Darrow doesn’t seem to deepen as a character much. Actually, many of the Gold characters don’t change much. Even the ones who are “the smart ones,” seem to lack any sense of nuance, which can drive you crazy. All in all, still an engaging read, Brown knows how to build suspense and write some good action. But the character development still lacks. Fun scifi vibe read.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
3.0
Hunger Games meets Capture the Flag in this intense first novel for the Red Rising Saga.
When I first started reading, I wasn’t really hooked. I felt like there were some plot/pacing issues, rushed or inconsistent character development, and world building issues. Things picked up and got more exciting when the main character makes it to The Game portion of the novel. Plot issues and character problems continued, but at least there was action and intrigue. The world needs more explaining (in particular the “caste” system within), so I’m hoping the following books help flesh the world out more.
When I first started reading, I wasn’t really hooked. I felt like there were some plot/pacing issues, rushed or inconsistent character development, and world building issues. Things picked up and got more exciting when the main character makes it to The Game portion of the novel. Plot issues and character problems continued, but at least there was action and intrigue. The world needs more explaining (in particular the “caste” system within), so I’m hoping the following books help flesh the world out more.
Hide by Kiersten White
2.5
14 people are invited to play a game of hide and seek in an abandoned amusement park for a grand prize of $50000. As one would expect from a book like this, there’s a deadly catch.
This book could have been a fun read about a killer children’s game, but certain plot elements just didn’t work, the perspective jumping got messy, and the overall plot was just a little too bland.
The idea that the descendants of the 7 original families are the only ones who could see and be sacrificed to the Beast was an interesting one, I did enjoy that. Revealing that Ava was not a true descendant and was therefore safe and able to return was handled poorly but was still a fun twist
If you’re looking to read something that reminds you of Squid Game, this isn’t it. It tries to delve into social commentary but it feels shoehorned in and doesn’t come off the way the author intends.
This book could have been a fun read about a killer children’s game, but certain plot elements just didn’t work, the perspective jumping got messy, and the overall plot was just a little too bland.
If you’re looking to read something that reminds you of Squid Game, this isn’t it. It tries to delve into social commentary but it feels shoehorned in and doesn’t come off the way the author intends.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
4.0
Such a classic childrens intro to science fiction that still holds up on reread. Follow Mrs Who, Mrs Whatsit, and Mrs Which as they take Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin on a intergalactic adventure through time and space, wrinkling the fabric of reality.
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
2.5
The best part of this book was the character development, and even that was ruined for me by the end. The Montverre is a school where boys learn to play the grand jeu, a “game” combining math, philosophy, music, and other higher learning pursuits. You’ll be asking yourself, “what the grand jeu is exactly and how does one play it?” And then you’ll keep asking until the book ends. The specifics of the world and main drive behind the book are always frustratingly vague. We are to believe that religion, in particular Christianity, is slowly becoming illegal due to it not fitting in with the “modern” Party that is running the country. The government system behind everything reads like your generic “bad government” trope. For the first 2/3rds of the book, I thought I was going to be reading a gay enemies to lovers story set in a dark academia setting, and then it all got flipped on its head at the end and became much less interesting. A solidly written book that just couldn’t fully commit to anything.
Revelator by Daryl Gregory
3.5
An old god lays dying in a mountain, communing only with women it has selected. Stella, a previous Revelator, must make the choice to flee or confront her past.
Besides some pacing problems that kept me from fully being immersed in the book, this was a fun read!
Besides some pacing problems that kept me from fully being immersed in the book, this was a fun read!