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ellemnope's reviews
2349 reviews
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
5.0
Okay. I've read this twice now, so I feel pretty solid in my opinions. My first read was via audio, second via hard copy. Now...while I really loved the audio read and the narrator (Rebecca Soler) does a fantastic job, this book moves super quick when there's action and it's super easy to get lost. So...I was pretty well muddled by the time I reached the end.
The reread via the hard copy cleared a LOT of stuff up. I was able to go back and slowly sift through passages that still left me reeling and I was able to reference the map and the limited character/dragon/signet list. Those things made all the difference.
The story is intense and the pacing ranges from being a little slow to being a full blown whirlwind. Needless to say, this keeps a reader on their toes. There are a LOT of characters, so keeping a reference list is a good idea if you need one beyond what is provided in the beginning. This is also handy to keep track of last names and dragons, because sometimes first names aren't used or the reference in battle is to the dragon instead of the rider.
The relationships and personalities of the secondary characters are explored more in this book and I feel like I know them even better than I did after the first two books. I definitely have my favorites. And there were some really tense moments during the read where I feared Yarros might kill them off. In fact, I'm still holding my breath a bit following the ending...so beware. That ending...it's a doozy.
Now...to weed through all of this rambling...the bottom line is that I really enjoyed this book. It had me held in a vice grip. I have NEVER reread a book immediately after finishing and I still found myself just as intensely absorbed by the plot my second read through. I will now go rock myself in a corner and attempt to console myself in the fact that I have to wait two years to find out what in the world is going on.
The reread via the hard copy cleared a LOT of stuff up. I was able to go back and slowly sift through passages that still left me reeling and I was able to reference the map and the limited character/dragon/signet list. Those things made all the difference.
The story is intense and the pacing ranges from being a little slow to being a full blown whirlwind. Needless to say, this keeps a reader on their toes. There are a LOT of characters, so keeping a reference list is a good idea if you need one beyond what is provided in the beginning. This is also handy to keep track of last names and dragons, because sometimes first names aren't used or the reference in battle is to the dragon instead of the rider.
The relationships and personalities of the secondary characters are explored more in this book and I feel like I know them even better than I did after the first two books. I definitely have my favorites. And there were some really tense moments during the read where I feared Yarros might kill them off. In fact, I'm still holding my breath a bit following the ending...so beware. That ending...it's a doozy.
Now...to weed through all of this rambling...the bottom line is that I really enjoyed this book. It had me held in a vice grip. I have NEVER reread a book immediately after finishing and I still found myself just as intensely absorbed by the plot my second read through. I will now go rock myself in a corner and attempt to console myself in the fact that I have to wait two years to find out what in the world is going on.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
A wonderful follow up to The House in the Cerulean Sea and such a great experience of returning to this world that Klune has created. I missed these characters and was immediately soothed to be immersed in their charm once again. The narrative is gentle, yet powerful. It focuses on highlighting the power within us all to be what we want to be and to not have to accept what the world expects us to be if we don't feel it's right. Lovely messages of inclusion and the potential for humanity to live in love and celebrate differences rather than hating or fearing them. There are many who could learn a thing or two from this heartwarming book.
Klune states in his acknowledgments and author's note that he seeks to be the anti-J.K. Rowling. I think he has managed to achieve that mark well with this novel. It provides such a great picture of family and the joy of independent children. Arthur and Linus are such loving parents with great talent for encouraging the uniqueness in their wards while still guiding them in development towards compassionate and purposeful adults.
Sequels are always nerve wracking, especially when returning to a world you whole-heartedly adored. I am very happy to say that this was a resounding success and I loved it just as much as the original.
Klune states in his acknowledgments and author's note that he seeks to be the anti-J.K. Rowling. I think he has managed to achieve that mark well with this novel. It provides such a great picture of family and the joy of independent children. Arthur and Linus are such loving parents with great talent for encouraging the uniqueness in their wards while still guiding them in development towards compassionate and purposeful adults.
Sequels are always nerve wracking, especially when returning to a world you whole-heartedly adored. I am very happy to say that this was a resounding success and I loved it just as much as the original.
Capitana by Cassandra James
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
I had high hopes for this book based on the premise, but it just didn't meet the bar I set for it. A pirate style adventure based on a pirate hunter university, the story set up some good conflict and really blurred the lines of good and evil, but the nature of the characters made a full immersion into the story difficult.
Ximena, the protagonist, is more or less the villain of the story. And I did not like her at all. She is narcissistic, an isolationist, and limits her focus to one goal. And that goal is nothing noble, it is to kill. I just didn't like the way it was approached. I felt like the story could have been told from this angle while still making the protagonist have a redemption arc. In this story, the redemption arc felt lazy and didn't give me the satisfaction I need from that approach.
The secondary characters were okay. They existed. But there was a lot of character building missing and they felt quite flat. Again, there was a lot of plot exploration that could have taken place and there were a lot of opportunities to make the story exciting and adventurous, but the author just left them there. It felt a lot like an outline of a story instead of a full exploration of the characters and the world.
The writing was okay, but maybe not my style and I just wanted more from the pages. There was a lot of promise to the tale and the bones are there, it just needed more exploration, more heart, more humanity.
Ximena, the protagonist, is more or less the villain of the story. And I did not like her at all. She is narcissistic, an isolationist, and limits her focus to one goal. And that goal is nothing noble, it is to kill. I just didn't like the way it was approached. I felt like the story could have been told from this angle while still making the protagonist have a redemption arc. In this story, the redemption arc felt lazy and didn't give me the satisfaction I need from that approach.
The secondary characters were okay. They existed. But there was a lot of character building missing and they felt quite flat. Again, there was a lot of plot exploration that could have taken place and there were a lot of opportunities to make the story exciting and adventurous, but the author just left them there. It felt a lot like an outline of a story instead of a full exploration of the characters and the world.
The writing was okay, but maybe not my style and I just wanted more from the pages. There was a lot of promise to the tale and the bones are there, it just needed more exploration, more heart, more humanity.
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
I started off REALLY enjoying this novella. The story was intriguing and the writing is really good. I enjoyed the protagonist's POV and the character development that came out of her. The nature of the narrative just meshed with me and I literally thought to myself at about 20 minutes in, "I am loving this book".
But then the ending came. For some, an open, kind of abstract, ending intrigues them and totally checks all the right boxes. For me, that's not the case. I need nice and solid endings where I feel like I really understand everything that happened. In this situation, I was seriously lost. Did I enjoy the writing right up to the end? You betcha. Would I have continued to read if more of this story was written/explained? Absolutely. I NEEDED that.
This ending left me confused to the point that I did a web search to see what others had said in spoiler style reviews. And that only helped because at least I know I'm not alone in my reaction of "What the heck just happened? I'm so freaking lost. Did I miss something?" Frustrating...but...it didn't detract completely from the fact that I really enjoyed Knutsdottir's writing. Dang it.
Will I read more from her? If it's available in translation I will 100% give it a shot. Just please give me a complete ending. I beg of you.
But then the ending came. For some, an open, kind of abstract, ending intrigues them and totally checks all the right boxes. For me, that's not the case. I need nice and solid endings where I feel like I really understand everything that happened. In this situation, I was seriously lost. Did I enjoy the writing right up to the end? You betcha. Would I have continued to read if more of this story was written/explained? Absolutely. I NEEDED that.
This ending left me confused to the point that I did a web search to see what others had said in spoiler style reviews. And that only helped because at least I know I'm not alone in my reaction of "What the heck just happened? I'm so freaking lost. Did I miss something?" Frustrating...but...it didn't detract completely from the fact that I really enjoyed Knutsdottir's writing. Dang it.
Will I read more from her? If it's available in translation I will 100% give it a shot. Just please give me a complete ending. I beg of you.
Daughters of Bronze: A Novel of Troy by A.D. Rhine
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.5
This second in a duology works well as a standalone, but was so intriguing that I will now be going back to read the first in the small series. A somewhat reimagined/enhanced telling of the siege of Troy, this historical fiction is written fully from the female perspective of the war between the Achaeans and the Trojans. The chapters are a cycle of 4 POVs that are interwoven quite well and give a wide expanse telling of the events with emotional acuity. More than just a historical telling, this is a piece that delves into the humanity of the situation, including the thoughts of mothers, slaves, and warriors. Extremely well-written and full of tension. It can be a bit confusing due to all the moving pieces and some familiarity with the historical characters will absolutely be helpful, but the story still stood quite well on its own and had me highly invested even if I already knew how the (historically told) ending would play out. There are some liberties taken on the interpretation, which is covered very well in the author's note and that I honestly think were well thought out approaches to telling the story. I'm no historian, but it all seemed believable to me. It rises above the fantastical of mythology and sticks fairly well to a historical tale, but there are some bits that definitely verge into fantasy (it's hard to portray Cassandra without this detour). Highly recommend for historical fiction buffs, especially those who love tales of Ancient Greece and Turkey.
A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson
adventurous
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
4.5
I'm gonna need a sequel. Though this was admittedly a bit slow to start while the world building took place, the resulting novel was a really great debut. WWII codebreakers meets dragon fantasy...who would've thought of that combination?!?! But it was such good fun. Great tension and character building. Some bits of the plot do require suspension of disbelief, but it's a fantasy...so you kind of have to expect that to a certain degree. The plot wraps up well, but leaves SOOOOO much room for this to continue as a series. And I would totally be here for it. That last page....ugh. I NEED to know more.
The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
The Encanto's Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I liked the idea of this book, but it just didn't pan out for me. Though it had good bones and included a lot of Filipino myth/fable that I didn't previously know, this story just felt a bit meh for me. I loved the pieces of fantastical elements, but I really wanted more world-building than I was given. I feel like this world de la Cruz created deserved much more exploration. For my tastes, the writing style didn't quite fit the YA read I was expecting, but instead came off a bit more middle grade. I read a lot of middle grade, so this would have been fine, but it didn't fit with the age of the MC or the way the tale was structured. It felt like the story was at odds with itself a lot of the time. There was a lot to explore and develop and it didn't feel like there was much in-depth digging. A bit mystery, a bit fantasy, and a bit romance, all three of the genres seemed to get the shaft in development. I don't say this a lot, but I really think this story needed to be a few hundred pages longer to give more nuance and development to the plot. The basis of the story was good and I liked the pieces of tension and relationship development I was given, but I was just left wanting. I haven't decided whether I want to continue the series or not.