eyeowna's reviews
155 reviews

Deerskin by Robin McKinley

dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This is an adult retelling of the fairy tale “Donkeyskin.” Knowing the fairy tale comes with the trigger warnings: incest, rape, (and in this version of the story) miscarriage. This retelling is a story about survival and choosing to live (with all that entails) more than anything else. We follow the main character, Lissar/Deerskin, through a childhood of neglect, the moment of her sexual assault (not graphically described but the emotions capture horror), the escape into wilderness, and her beginning to heal. The fairy tale elements really kick in with the healing process: Deerskin is given the “gift of time” to heal, alongside other magical blessings from a goddess. She finds people who love her and accept her. The second half/last third(?) of the novel and its setting could be considered cozy fantasy if not for everything that happened before it and Deerskin’s trauma. (This of course makes the coziness all the sweeter.)

Some other thoughts: dogs are super important and the “heart” of this story. I have a goofy and long legged wolfhound mix at home, so the hunting hounds couldn’t help but remind me of a more dignified version of her. The dog does NOT die in this novel. 

The writing style of this novel fit the themes and main character’s psyche, but sometimes it dragged. Very fairy tale and wordy and introspective. I was drawn in by this at the beginning and found the book hard to put down. Then I found it hard not to skim at the end. The magic-filled climactic ending confused me a little. 

This book is not an easy recommend but it packs a punch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.25

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

Le Guin in her afterward (Libby ebook edition): “To be the man he can be, Ged has to find out who and what his real enemy is. He has to find out what it means to be himself. That requires not a war but a search and a discovery. The search takes him through mortal danger, loss, and suffering. The discovery brings him victory, the kind of victory that isn’t the end of a battle but the beginning of a life.”

This is Fantasy. Cold seas and warm hearths, friendship and hate, a psychological coming of age, subversive of the genre and yet reads like a well-worn old myth. I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to reading this.

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.25

The first book is still my favorite of the series but I had a great time with this ending. Loved that we had more footnotes and fantasy academia again in this one (I felt like book 2 didn’t have enough). 

I have a copy of the book but ended up mostly listening to the audiobook on Spotify while working on a mini cross stitch (trying out a new hobby). The audiobook made the story sillier to me, if that makes sense? Mostly because of the way the narrator plays Emily’s accent. It reminded me of when I would listen to children’s fantasy audiobooks during family roadtrips. Would recommend this series if you want cozy and romantic fantasy. 

Bookshops & Bonedust: Special Edition by Travis Baldree

adventurous lighthearted relaxing slow-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? No

3.25

Can’t decide on rating but it’s somewhere between 3 or 4 stars. This book delivers the cozy fantasy it promises. I have a beautiful copy with stenciled/painted edges and little illustrations above the beginning of each chapter that also ups the cozy experience. I also enjoyed the snippets of the books the main character read in-universe. 

The middle was very very slow for me, but could be I wasn’t in the right mood for this book. Not much happens plot-wise but that could be a feature instead of a drawback. The vibes at the beginning and end worked for me. Just think the book’s length might have overstayed its welcome. 

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings: Poems by Joy Harjo

emotional reflective slow-paced

3.75

This book could be anywhere in the 3.5-4 range for me. Several lovely poems that hit me in the heart. Many others that felt intentionally like song lyrics—music and the blues are overarching themes of this collection. Because of that, I feel like I would’ve gotten more out of them if I had heard them rather than read them. 

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

The other things I’ve been reading lately have been dense. I wanted something light, magical, and cozy to tide me over until Emily Wilde #3 comes out next week. The Libby gods provided 🙏 I read the ebook version in an evening. I love a nice novella—they’re a fun time and don’t overstay their welcome.

The best part of this book was the greenteeth, or the water bog spirits who raised the main character. Jenny Greenteeth you will always be iconic. Toadling, the main character, was endearing. I enjoyed that Kingfisher included a Muslim knight and somewhat had historical context with the crusades and plague, but I found the timing confusing (and probably anachronistic). But this isn’t a novella to read if you’re looking for historical fiction. Overall a good time. 

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This is a dark academia (?) type of fantasy novel set in a contemporary world like ours in which some people can use magic through certain books/book making. The novel first follows two sisters from a family that protects their library of magic books from the world (and some secret enemy) before things get twisty. 

I feel like this book was brewed in a cauldron of hot book soup (blood in this case) specifically for me. There’s beautiful libraries, bookbinding, making ink out of blood, sisters, twists and secrets on secrets, magic spells, and a general love for rare books and reading. This would’ve been the perfect novel for me if the pacing didn’t feel bloated and uneven. There’s a lot (about 150-200 pages) of build up to a certain event. After the middle/two thirds of the book, the pay off was fun but very quick and didn’t match the first half of the book. 

I loved the writing style, descriptions, and dialogue, though! I’m going to keep an eye out for whatever Torzs writes next.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

3.5

A fun time, quick read. 

Loved: the older lady characters who have to step up against the sorceress. That more than anything else makes this book charming and sets it apart from other fairy tale retellings I’ve read. The magic was fairy tale-esque with some internal logic that I liked. The demonic horse was chef’s kiss. 

Wanted more: depth or backstory or character something! I think this would’ve been a 4 or even 5 star read for me if it had backstory for the antagonist or more of an arc for the sorcerer’s daughter (she gets some but I wanted more). 

Overall though, a fun fairy tale romp with murder, child abuse, manners, and geese. 

Moomin Book One: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip by Tove Jansson

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Delightful! Zany! I love how the moomins are always running from the police!