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cryosphinx's reviews
141 reviews
A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I thoroughly enjoyed both this and the previous book in the FAF series and find them to be more refined than the FBAA series (though I enjoy it immensely as well) and I did find this book to be better than the previous one. There's still the same issue will complain about, such as modern slang randomly inserted in, but it seems like JLA is better about the meandering thoughts in this book. I love the found family, the spice is still top notch, and that ending...I wouldn't say it's a cliffhanger but it definitely made me big mad that I have to wait for the next book.
The beginning was a bit slow and I was super confused and ended up having to stop and find a full synopsis of ASITE because I could not recall who is who and what happened. But once I got in to it, I enjoyed the ride as there's good pacing between action, story, world building, spice and plot.
I can't wait for the next book which will hopefully answer some more questions I have and how it'll tie back to FBAA.
The beginning was a bit slow and I was super confused and ended up having to stop and find a full synopsis of ASITE because I could not recall who is who and what happened. But once I got in to it, I enjoyed the ride as there's good pacing between action, story, world building, spice and plot.
I can't wait for the next book which will hopefully answer some more questions I have and how it'll tie back to FBAA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: War, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I wasn't sure what to expect going into my second dark romance, first horror romance. But having the hots for a demon? Woo hoo.
I don't read too much smut but I got suckered in with the promise of good characters and cults and it delivered. The writing and settings was very well done the smut was 🔥 Both Leon and Rae are lovable but let's be clear: there's a cat named Cheesecake so clearly...the favorite.
Rae did get annoying at points but maybe it's because she's stubborn and that got a little too close. I also wanted more closure with side characters and the ending was a lot of plot build up and it got wrapped up super quick so it just ends, and isn't super satisfying. It IS HEA so there's that.
I don't read too much smut but I got suckered in with the promise of good characters and cults and it delivered. The writing and settings was very well done the smut was 🔥 Both Leon and Rae are lovable but let's be clear: there's a cat named Cheesecake so clearly...the favorite.
Rae did get annoying at points but maybe it's because she's stubborn and that got a little too close. I also wanted more closure with side characters and the ending was a lot of plot build up and it got wrapped up super quick so it just ends, and isn't super satisfying. It IS HEA so there's that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, and Blood
Borne by Jeff VanderMeer
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
4.75
I went into this knowing very little, having a friend recommend it to me. I was sold on post apocalyptic but that's quite it for my knowledge.
VanderMeer's writing style took a little bit for me to get used to, coming off a long string of romantic fantasy books so the beginning was hard for me to get into, but once I got a feel for the writing and the vivid and lush environment and characters, I was invested. His writing does so much in such an a beautiful and unique way they I felt sucked into this world, even with the mysteries such as why is there a giant bear flying around?
There's a lot of turns in this and it's been a long while since I've had a book where I read a sentence and had to put the book down to stare and mentally recover from what I just discovered. I did find the book was on the slow side, with a bulk of the book being centered around Rachel and Borne in the Balcony Cliffs (but I supposed the book IS titled Borne after all). It's very character driven with the great plot just being about survival in this strange but plausible apocalypse.
VanderMeer's writing style took a little bit for me to get used to, coming off a long string of romantic fantasy books so the beginning was hard for me to get into, but once I got a feel for the writing and the vivid and lush environment and characters, I was invested. His writing does so much in such an a beautiful and unique way they I felt sucked into this world, even with the mysteries such as why is there a giant bear flying around?
There's a lot of turns in this and it's been a long while since I've had a book where I read a sentence and had to put the book down to stare and mentally recover from what I just discovered. I did find the book was on the slow side, with a bulk of the book being centered around Rachel and Borne in the Balcony Cliffs (but I supposed the book IS titled Borne after all). It's very character driven with the great plot just being about survival in this strange but plausible apocalypse.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual violence
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This book. THIS BOOK. Worth the freaking hype! Violet is such a great bad add sassy FMC with chronic illness rep. I love her growth, starting at the beginning knowing she wasn't meant to be a dragon rider into growing into her powers and knowing her worth and taking no shit from anyone. And Xaden *chefs kiss* I do love me a pairing that flares tempers. And there's so many side characters that are just as loveable ESPECIALLY the dragons. I also appreciate that in terms of romance, Violet is a woman who knows what she wants and actually vocalizes it. I find often in romances, the lady sits back and enjoys the ride *cough* but no, not dear Violet! And the last 100 pages are a real doozy.
The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 is the pacing. There are a few month or two month time skips so there's an odd amount where it's like...a lot happens in this short time period and then nothing happens for a bit? Alright? I suppose though she was trying to fit the plot within "the year" of the school so it's fine. And the use of modern slang always throws me for a loop.
This book kept me up LATE and was fun as all hell to read and I am NOT looking forward to having to wait until November after that cliffhanger if an ending. Aside from Brandon being alive and well, I need to know how this will affect Violets friendships she's cultivated. NEED TO KNOW.
The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 is the pacing. There are a few month or two month time skips so there's an odd amount where it's like...a lot happens in this short time period and then nothing happens for a bit? Alright? I suppose though she was trying to fit the plot within "the year" of the school so it's fine. And the use of modern slang always throws me for a loop.
This book kept me up LATE and was fun as all hell to read and I am NOT looking forward to having to wait until November after that cliffhanger if an ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual content, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
The Crown of Oaths and Curses by J. Bree
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I intended to read this book as an aside just when I happened to have my Kindle and some spare time and WHOOPS, I absolutely CONSUMED it in two days.
JBree wrote an intriguing fantasy novel that makes a twists of the fated mates tropes by making the mates from two races that abhir each other and have had centuries of prejudice. I found the world building to be well done, easy to understand but not boring.
Rooke is the epitome of the bad ass FMC and I love her and her quiet but rightfully justified sass. There are side characters who come to understand and break through the prejudices , they grow and learn and they become really compelling parts of the story. Soren can be face punchingly annoying and dense but I think it's very much written that way to make a true energies to lovers trope shine in the end, but I fully expect some grovling to come along in the next book. Which I now desperately need.
The only bother is there's some explanations that are repeated as if it was the first time being told and some moments of long internal monologue during conversations they I forgot what was being said and had to go back. Very minor and didn't ruin anything. This is just a well told joy ride of a fantasy and I cannot wait for the next book.
JBree wrote an intriguing fantasy novel that makes a twists of the fated mates tropes by making the mates from two races that abhir each other and have had centuries of prejudice. I found the world building to be well done, easy to understand but not boring.
Rooke is the epitome of the bad ass FMC and I love her and her quiet but rightfully justified sass. There are side characters who come to understand and break through the prejudices , they grow and learn and they become really compelling parts of the story. Soren can be face punchingly annoying and dense but I think it's very much written that way to make a true energies to lovers trope shine in the end, but I fully expect some grovling to come along in the next book. Which I now desperately need.
The only bother is there's some explanations that are repeated as if it was the first time being told and some moments of long internal monologue during conversations they I forgot what was being said and had to go back. Very minor and didn't ruin anything. This is just a well told joy ride of a fantasy and I cannot wait for the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This felt like a filler episode. I don't think it was as bad as some people say, I still very much enjoyed it, but it was....odd? The first half was perfectly fine, then the second half slows down a lot but then so much happens in the last 10 pages TOO fast. It also gets randomly preachy about sexism about who was the truly powerful primal being Seraphena but credit went to Nyktos that was super weird and out of left field.
I still very much enjoy Poppy's journey into finding her strength but at this point, her only flaw is that she gets angry and asks too many questions, which we know already. Casteel really got moved to the backseat in this book, but at least Keiran is here and quickly became my favorite of the trio.
So yeah it's not great, but it's not horrible and I'm still enjoying reading it and will continue to read but totally understand people giving up or it just not being their cup of tea. It's not as repetative but it's still there, there's still lots of heavy dialogue "telling-not-showing" sections, and randomly modern lingo. Just have the expectation that this is not a amazing piece of literature and have fun.
I still very much enjoy Poppy's journey into finding her strength but at this point, her only flaw is that she gets angry and asks too many questions, which we know already. Casteel really got moved to the backseat in this book, but at least Keiran is here and quickly became my favorite of the trio.
So yeah it's not great, but it's not horrible and I'm still enjoying reading it and will continue to read but totally understand people giving up or it just not being their cup of tea. It's not as repetative but it's still there, there's still lots of heavy dialogue "telling-not-showing" sections, and randomly modern lingo. Just have the expectation that this is not a amazing piece of literature and have fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, War, Murder, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Rape
What Lurks Between the Fates by Harper L. Woods
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Kind of a step back compared to the previous two. It's pretty slow and then all the excitement happens in the last 30 or so pages. Lots of repetative mate pining which I suppose is to be expected.
There is overall less spice, but the spice is still well written. This book definitely takes a much darker turn and there is quite a bit of violence and torture scenes.
I mostly just wish more happened. You spend the entire book with the two main characters imprisoned and imprisoned in a weird way (as in they have some amount of freedom randomly?) And you don't get a whole lot of the characters you've met.
In the end, I'll still pick up the next one especially because CLIFFHANGER.
There is overall less spice, but the spice is still well written. This book definitely takes a much darker turn and there is quite a bit of violence and torture scenes.
I mostly just wish more happened. You spend the entire book with the two main characters imprisoned and imprisoned in a weird way (as in they have some amount of freedom randomly?) And you don't get a whole lot of the characters you've met.
In the end, I'll still pick up the next one especially because CLIFFHANGER.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Sexual content, Gore, and Confinement
Moderate: Blood and Sexual violence
Minor: Rape
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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
5.0
When the Earth speaks, it is not in words.
What a damned good conclusion to this series. A lot of the mysteries get explained as well so this was just a thrilling ride that had me questioning what the ultimate conclusion would be up until the end. I will forever scream from the roof tops about Jemisin's writing being some of the most beautifully written prose I've experienced. Because at the end that's what this is, an experience. Some of my favorite, most heart wrenching moments are in this book. I am beyond happy I read this trilogy.
What a damned good conclusion to this series. A lot of the mysteries get explained as well so this was just a thrilling ride that had me questioning what the ultimate conclusion would be up until the end. I will forever scream from the roof tops about Jemisin's writing being some of the most beautifully written prose I've experienced. Because at the end that's what this is, an experience. Some of my favorite, most heart wrenching moments are in this book. I am beyond happy I read this trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Genocide, and Violence
Moderate: War, Death of parent, and Slavery
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and Cannibalism
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows by Holly Renee
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
What a let down. The first half of the book picks up where the second book left off and spends the time pivoting between the two POVs over a week or so, then gets wrapped up quickly then the rest of the book spends most of its time making up for the lack of smut in the first half. And boy, is it repetitive. There's also a random other POV thrown in for one chapter that makes no sense as to why we have that shift. The ending conflict, while satisfying, is also over too soon.
The book is still fast paced, and short, so like the two before it, not a lot of character development. I still might continue the series since it'll shift to Thalia, whom is my favorite.
I read this series as palette cleansers and while it did it's job, I feel like I at least enjoyed the first two and this one was meh. I do appreciate Adara coming more into her own power so that gets a point.
The book is still fast paced, and short, so like the two before it, not a lot of character development. I still might continue the series since it'll shift to Thalia, whom is my favorite.
I read this series as palette cleansers and while it did it's job, I feel like I at least enjoyed the first two and this one was meh. I do appreciate Adara coming more into her own power so that gets a point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Suicide
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
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
Kind of slumpy compared to the first book. The first one follows three characters and this one cuts that down to two (it does have a third, briefly) and it slows down the plot but makes up with it with character growth and world building. A lot of things get answered about the world and how the magic works and all the Guardians, Stone Eaters and orogenes exist. Since the plot doesn't move quite as much as Book 1, there is a lot more dialogue and I found it quite slow in the first half so be prepared for that.
Hoa definitely becomes the most interesting character aside from the main two. I do love the found family, depictions of grief and trauma and Jemisin's prose is still so beautifully written, there were times where I just read a passage over and over to fully observe how lovely it was written. You also get more informed of Essun's time in with her family, though it's told from the perspective of Nassun.
Hoa definitely becomes the most interesting character aside from the main two. I do love the found family, depictions of grief and trauma and Jemisin's prose is still so beautifully written, there were times where I just read a passage over and over to fully observe how lovely it was written. You also get more informed of Essun's time in with her family, though it's told from the perspective of Nassun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, Cursing, and Child death
Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism, and Sexual content