e_gracereads's reviews
225 reviews

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.

Felt way more juvenile than I was hoping for. The content is adult, the writing style is low end of YA, and I really couldn’t get into this world that Henderson was building. Not bad, just not for me. 

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

Holy WOW was this book fast paced. It starts off HARD and FAST. It was a very quick read, and steeped with action throughout the entire novel. I really enjoyed the “two villains” aspect of the book; however, I do wish we’d gotten more of the creature in this creature-feature. The horror in this book is really a lot less because of the creature, and a lot more because of the people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fun, short read, which surprised me, especially considering the subject matter. It was relatively lighthearted but still rich with history. 

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh

I don’t have it in me to read some weird religious commentary right now. Already doesn’t feel like something I would enjoy. 

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a fine space horror book! Very action packed, fast-paced and exciting — overall I enjoyed it, it’s just not something I’d necessarily pick up again. I did really, really enjoy the book being from Claire’s point of view though; she was a very unique protagonist! 

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

I might revisit this, but as for right now, I’m like 50 pages in and bored as hell, so I’m just gonna leave it. 

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

An honestly outstanding ending to a trilogy. I cried in the beginning, and I cried in the end, and there were times in the middle I was tearing up. Absolutely beautiful. 

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

The only reason this book is less than a 5 star is because it was a little bit slow in the beginning. However, by the last 100 pages of the book, my heart was absolutely invested; there were some exceptionally gut-wrenching moments, and this book brought tears to my eyes. An absolutely gorgeous Russian historical fantasy. 

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is The Feel Bad Read, good fucking god. It’s absolutely devastating start to finish, but that last 20% is something else. Absolutely something else. Bleak from page one, and bleaker by the last page. 

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-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

5.0

I LOVED this book. Loved. This is everything, in my opinion, that Deathless by Catherynne Valente wanted to be but fell short of. It is a vibrant, vibrant historical fantasy set in 14th century Northern Russia and it’s absolutely amazing. The characters have so much depth and so much emotion, and the setting is rich and beautiful. Vasya was an amazing protagonist, and the cast of supporting characters were absolutely excellent. I’ll be starting the second book in this trilogy asap.