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gnomereader's Reviews (127)
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book was written well and I enjoyed the audiobook narration a lot, but I also feel like some of it was hard for me to really take in. I think I need to read it again to fully appreciate all that I learned. I think the approach was fantastic and really painted a vivid picture of the terrible way the Osage and other Native peoples were treated during this time frame (and beyond).
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book was incredibly powerful. Elizabeth Packard was a truly inspiring woman who persevered through unbelievable odds to fight for what she believed was right, not only for herself but for all women. She was intelligent, determined, and charismatic. I honestly don’t know that I would have had the strength to carry on as she did with everything that stood before her.
I feel like this book is a must read for everyone. Kate Moore is so talented and does a phenomenal job pulling the reader into this story. It was powerful and profound, while also highlighting the many frustrations and injustices that existed for women of Elizabeth’s time. She moved mountains when she was told it couldn’t be done and I am honored to have read her story.
I feel like this book is a must read for everyone. Kate Moore is so talented and does a phenomenal job pulling the reader into this story. It was powerful and profound, while also highlighting the many frustrations and injustices that existed for women of Elizabeth’s time. She moved mountains when she was told it couldn’t be done and I am honored to have read her story.
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This might be my new favorite Abby book, this was so good. The audiobook is fantastic, as always. The dual narration is the absolute best and I really liked both narrators.
As for the book itself, this one was so beautifully done and made me so emotional. Abby tackles hard topics so delicately and in such a real way. I laughed out loud, I cried, I couldn’t stop this if I tried. I was literally up all night to finish it. Both characters were likable and I could relate to them both in different ways. I will for sure be reading this one again.
As for the book itself, this one was so beautifully done and made me so emotional. Abby tackles hard topics so delicately and in such a real way. I laughed out loud, I cried, I couldn’t stop this if I tried. I was literally up all night to finish it. Both characters were likable and I could relate to them both in different ways. I will for sure be reading this one again.
fast-paced
“It must be nice, not to have been shanked in the nether regions by life.”
I finished this a couple days ago but sat on it for a minute so that I could write a review that did it justice. For me, this book was excellent. It was so funny, but also so smart.
Gerome is a gnome (yes, he gets that a lot) who also happens to an arcane lecturer. After an attempt to *enhance* himself goes badly, he discovers he has unwittingly allowed a poweful demon to slip through a crack from the shadow planes, right into him. Now, with his unwelcome demon passenger in tow, he finds himself with a band of unlikely people of talent who have been tasked with the unsavory job of ridding the stronghold of Elderstay of a terrible curse.
When I say I loved this, I am not exaggerating in the slightest. The writing for this story was fantastic- it was witty and had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions, but it was also unexpectedly emotional. I loved Gerome. This unlikely hero, while literally being a gnome, was so relatable. His plights were those of a person who only wanted what we all want in life, to be happy. His misfortunes along the way brought a subtle underlying message of hope through despair and what it means to face your demons- in Gerome’s case, literally.
I also really enjoyed the build of the story and the way the side characters were implemented. I loved that we as readers were able to learn about them and uncover details as Gerome did. I ESPECIALLY loved that this book felt like I was sucked into a Dungeons and Dragons game. It was adventurous, comical, moving, and exciting. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.
If you are looking for a book with strong DnD vibes, an lgbtq+ main character, and smart, witty writing, this one is for you.
(Original review from 10/15/24)
***ETA: I just listened (4/13/25) to an ALC of the audiobook for The Demon of Elderstay and it was INCREDIBLE! The narrator was phenomenal and made it such a fun and engaging experience. He brought to life the witty and hilarious Gerome in such a great way that I loved the book even more than I originally did! I loved his character voices, his pacing was excellent, and he delivered the dry sarcasm perfectly. 10/10 recommend!***
I finished this a couple days ago but sat on it for a minute so that I could write a review that did it justice. For me, this book was excellent. It was so funny, but also so smart.
Gerome is a gnome (yes, he gets that a lot) who also happens to an arcane lecturer. After an attempt to *enhance* himself goes badly, he discovers he has unwittingly allowed a poweful demon to slip through a crack from the shadow planes, right into him. Now, with his unwelcome demon passenger in tow, he finds himself with a band of unlikely people of talent who have been tasked with the unsavory job of ridding the stronghold of Elderstay of a terrible curse.
When I say I loved this, I am not exaggerating in the slightest. The writing for this story was fantastic- it was witty and had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions, but it was also unexpectedly emotional. I loved Gerome. This unlikely hero, while literally being a gnome, was so relatable. His plights were those of a person who only wanted what we all want in life, to be happy. His misfortunes along the way brought a subtle underlying message of hope through despair and what it means to face your demons- in Gerome’s case, literally.
I also really enjoyed the build of the story and the way the side characters were implemented. I loved that we as readers were able to learn about them and uncover details as Gerome did. I ESPECIALLY loved that this book felt like I was sucked into a Dungeons and Dragons game. It was adventurous, comical, moving, and exciting. I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.
If you are looking for a book with strong DnD vibes, an lgbtq+ main character, and smart, witty writing, this one is for you.
(Original review from 10/15/24)
***ETA: I just listened (4/13/25) to an ALC of the audiobook for The Demon of Elderstay and it was INCREDIBLE! The narrator was phenomenal and made it such a fun and engaging experience. He brought to life the witty and hilarious Gerome in such a great way that I loved the book even more than I originally did! I loved his character voices, his pacing was excellent, and he delivered the dry sarcasm perfectly. 10/10 recommend!***
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I just finished this moments ago and it is 2:39am because I just couldn’t put the book down. I. Loved. This. As someone who reads a lot of Greek mythology and mythology retellings, I am well versed in the subject matter and I was excited to see this take on the myth of Hades and Persephone, especially because the story is told through the perspectives of both Persephone and Demeter.
This was beautiful and heart wrenching, it brought me to tears on more than one occasion. The characters were delivered in such a way that they felt fresh despite the fact that they are so prominent. There were characters from other myths that made an appearance and I loved that too. The spin on the original myths was wonderfully executed and, as someone who loves these stories so deeply, I could see how intentionally those changes were implemented to uphold the integrity of the core stories.
If you love mythology, especially that of Hades and Persephone, I would definitely recommend this one. I highly enjoyed it and I’m elated to add this to my collection.
This was beautiful and heart wrenching, it brought me to tears on more than one occasion. The characters were delivered in such a way that they felt fresh despite the fact that they are so prominent. There were characters from other myths that made an appearance and I loved that too. The spin on the original myths was wonderfully executed and, as someone who loves these stories so deeply, I could see how intentionally those changes were implemented to uphold the integrity of the core stories.
If you love mythology, especially that of Hades and Persephone, I would definitely recommend this one. I highly enjoyed it and I’m elated to add this to my collection.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Well all I can say is that I loved it and this was better than the first book (which I also loved). I really vibe with VE Schwab’s writing and I thought the progression for the story and this world was good- it made sense and it felt like there were elevated stakes instead of deflating or getting lost from the ending of This Savage Song. I’m sure there are other reviews that can dissect this book more technically than I can but I’m such a heavy mood reader that even if there were flaws, I was invested enough in the emotion and the character development not to notice (or to care).
I love the question of “what makes a monster” throughout this duology. It just really moved me and felt like such a relatable theme for anyone to be able to understand.
I love the question of “what makes a monster” throughout this duology. It just really moved me and felt like such a relatable theme for anyone to be able to understand.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I don’t even know where to begin with my thoughts for this book, I absolutely loved it. HM Roberts is a master when it comes to Greek mythology- her writing is superb and so beautiful. I love mythology retellings and each book that I’ve read from this author is just as stunning as the last. The stories are always reimagined in such a way that is achingly beautiful and haunting, but still holds true to the original stories. It’s a true gift and I am incredibly glad she has shared it with us. The Fall of Icarus is phenomenal and I am so glad to have this in my home collection to read many times over.
slow-paced
3.5 out of 4. I debated how to rate this one for a while before finally settling somewhere in the middle.
This book, for me, is complicated. Obviously, Snow as a character is not likable (which makes sense if you have read and know the original Hunger Games trilogy) so I was worried about how I would feel about the book as a whole. Why would I care if I know the main character isn’t someone I want to root for?
However, I found myself not wanting to look away once I started. I still don’t “like” Snow, but I personally thought it was interesting to see a little bit of how he came to be the way he is. I feel like it’s a testament to Suzanne Collins’ ability to invest a reader in what’s happening that I didn’t want to put this down.
Part of the entire point of The Hunger Games is dissecting human nature and what someone will do to survive in the face of impossible odds and corrupt government seeking to control those beneath them at all costs. I think this did a good job showing how someone can easily convince themselves they are absolved of wrong doing when they believe they’re doing it for righteous reasons.
The book felt a little slow in moments and some of the interactions between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray felt forced to me, or unnatural in the sense that it seems highly improbable for a connection like they had to be made in those circumstances. But I do feel like as a whole, this book expanded the picture of Snow and what makes the Hunger Games so horrible. For me, this makes the Hunger Games trilogy stronger. By itself, it’s not the strongest book. Added in to the original story? I think it holds up well.
This book, for me, is complicated. Obviously, Snow as a character is not likable (which makes sense if you have read and know the original Hunger Games trilogy) so I was worried about how I would feel about the book as a whole. Why would I care if I know the main character isn’t someone I want to root for?
However, I found myself not wanting to look away once I started. I still don’t “like” Snow, but I personally thought it was interesting to see a little bit of how he came to be the way he is. I feel like it’s a testament to Suzanne Collins’ ability to invest a reader in what’s happening that I didn’t want to put this down.
Part of the entire point of The Hunger Games is dissecting human nature and what someone will do to survive in the face of impossible odds and corrupt government seeking to control those beneath them at all costs. I think this did a good job showing how someone can easily convince themselves they are absolved of wrong doing when they believe they’re doing it for righteous reasons.
The book felt a little slow in moments and some of the interactions between Coriolanus and Lucy Gray felt forced to me, or unnatural in the sense that it seems highly improbable for a connection like they had to be made in those circumstances. But I do feel like as a whole, this book expanded the picture of Snow and what makes the Hunger Games so horrible. For me, this makes the Hunger Games trilogy stronger. By itself, it’s not the strongest book. Added in to the original story? I think it holds up well.