ginalucia's reviews
498 reviews

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

Go to review page

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring 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

 
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi swept me away with its delightful narration style. It's filled with charm and personality. Perfectly suited for the audiobook format that I enjoyed.

What stood out the most was the brilliant dialogue, which crackled with wit and humor. Amina's character development felt genuine and satisfying, and the comedic moments sprinkled throughout were perfect.

Plus, the world-building was immersive and well-crafted, transporting me effortlessly to the vibrant settings of Amina's adventures.

Overall, this book is a perfect blend of entertainment. I loved every moment of it.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

 
Hera by Jennifer Saint

Go to review page

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

4.0

 
Hera dives deep into power, manipulation, and the messy relationships of the Greek gods. It’s a fresh take on Hera, and boy, does Jennifer Saint make you feel it.

This book isn't always a breeze. Seeing Hera go from fierce warrior goddess to who she becomes is tough - it's heartbreaking and frustrating, but Jennifer Saint tells it well.

She nails how Zeus pulls Hera's strings with chilling precision. Their dynamic is like watching a train wreck - you can't look away.

The way Saint threads together all these tales into one story is pretty impressive too. She moves smoothly from one myth to the next, keeping you hooked throughout.

However, some parts did drag a bit. The gods, especially Hera, felt a bit distant at times, which made their dealings with mortals feel rushed. I guess that's the trade-off between immortal lives and mortal ones.

While I liked this fresh angle on Hera, I was hoping for more of her legendary wrath and cruelty. Her subdued portrayal left me wanting more fire and brimstone.

Overall, Hera is a popcorn-eating deep dive into divine drama. Jennifer Saint's take on Hera is thought-provoking and adds much-needed layers to her character, even if it left me craving a bit more of that divine fury.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is cosy fantasy at its best. 

It’s a beautiful, low-stakes story that's completely easy to devour in a day, depending on how quickly you read.

The fantasy elements are perfectly blended with the beautiful developing relationships. I honestly loved pretty much every second.

It was so close to 5 stars but there was one part of the story I found to be a bit unbelievable. 

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 
 
Bad Girls of Ancient Greece by Lizzy Tiffin

Go to review page

adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

 
Bad Girls of Ancient Greece is a witty, funny, and thoughtful guide on the women who make Greek Mythology - well, great!

I absolutely loved the vibes of this book. It’s completely accessible, so if you want to learn about some of the stories featuring women in Greek Mythology, this is a great place to start.

It’s self-aware, brilliant, well-written, and filled with comedy. Lizzy Tiffin has done a great job of telling each story in a way that doesn’t drag, or leave you feeling tired. Instead, she makes it easy to fly through each story and absorb them with ease.

Thank you Harper North, for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

 
Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful inspiring tense medium-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

4.0

Soul of the Deep and the Skin of the Sea duology, in general, was a fun, tense, and informative dive into West African mythology and history.

This second book continued with some much-loved characters and took them on a winding and perilous adventure, which was quite the ride. I loved the sheer amount that was fit into this book, the diversity of mythical creatures, deities, and characters was pretty cool. 

However, I do think this is why the second book didn’t quite hit the same mark as the first. It felt like we were dragged from one event to the other without too much rest or room for character development.

Having said that, I still had a lot of fun. If you’re looking for fantasy that’s unlike anything you’ve encountered so far, give this duology a shot.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt">YouTube channel</a>

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Go to review page

Did not finish book. Stopped at 9%.
I just can't get into this series so putting it down for now.
Lore Olympus: Volume Six by Rachel Smythe

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Just brilliant!
My Neighbor Totoro: The Novel by Tsugiko Kubo

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-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? Yes

5.0

 
My Neighbor Totoro: The Novel is freakin’ adorable and very much like the film but with the added bonus of seeing a little more into the minds of the characters.

Loved the film in the first place but now I have a newfound appreciation for the story.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt">YouTube channel</a>

 
Orphia and Eurydicius by Elyse John

Go to review page

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

3.0

 
Orphia and Eurydicius is a great concept that’s pretty well executed. It’s just not my cup of tea.

If you're expecting a gritty retelling, this isn’t it. Orphia and Eurydicius takes a more light-hearted approach, with some solid representation and a great message woven in.

It leans heavily on feminism and equality in gender (and sexuality). While it does this pretty well, sometimes it’s a little too on the nose. Perhaps a little too forced. I’m all for this in a myth retelling (in fact, I look for it), but this just didn’t feel real.

Throughout the book, I felt a disconnect between being told Orphia's music and poetry are divine and actually believing it. 

This is always going to be hard to achieve, especially when it comes to the arts. But because we’re rarely shown her poetry, it makes it hard to feel anything because of it.

It made huge and impactful scenes, well, lack impact. 

I feel this could have been avoided with a shift in perspective. The entire book is in first person, which makes some of the scenes feel like bragging. We almost need an outside witness to describe them instead.

Overall, Orphia and Eurydicius is a fun ride that’s very easy to read. While it may not have worked for me, it may be just the Greek myth retelling you need.

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt 

 
A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

 
Ahhhh, what a perfect end to a delicious duology. Rebecca Ross can do no wrong.

A Fire Endless is the second book in the Elements of Cadence series, and I’m going to say it: it was even better than the first (which I also gave 5 stars!)

Ross's lyrical prose has an amazing way of forcing you to slow down and savour some really sweet and beautiful moments. 

On the other hand, she knows when to speed you up, focusing on dialogue-heavy, character-driven scenes when you need it. It’s a delicate balance that’s perfectly executed. 

Character growth and relationships are honestly where Ross shines. I fell in love with pretty much every character. You can’t help but find yourself rooting for their relationships and invested in their every move.

And speaking of relationships, they're portrayed with such subtlety and realism. They feel like people you might know, and yet, you get to peek into their lives just a little bit more. 

A Fire Endless is a perfect example of why duologies are my series length of choice. It's pure perfection from start to finish. 

For more reviews and book recommendations, check out my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/ginaluciayt