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harlequinstardust's reviews
183 reviews
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A well-written book that never quite manages to balance the its intriguing double-narrative. The initial mystery hooked me in, but this book doesn’t live up to this promise and the weak payoff at the end disappointed me.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My goodness this is a strange one to review. My current read is coloured by the first time I discovered this novel at the age of fifteen and found myself transported to a world and introduced to characters strange and fantastic.
At fifteen, this novel was wildly romantic, hopelessly sad, with avery happy ending. I remember cheering along with Sayuri as she finally achieves her heart’s desire.
Today, fifteen years later, I found a story much changed. This tale was now a chronicle of an abused little girl let down by everyone in her life, clutching desperately at her girlhood dream only because it had kept her from losing all hope. It is as far from romantic as possible.At the end, I could only be happy that Sayuri had found her own version of happiness, and who was I to say otherwise?
I was happy to find the writing still beautiful, the character’s voice still strong, and the worldbuilding still transporting. Though my emotional reaction to the story between then and now changed, I am happy to have read it again, if only to shock myself into realising how much I have changed.
At fifteen, this novel was wildly romantic, hopelessly sad, with a
Today, fifteen years later, I found a story much changed. This tale was now a chronicle of an abused little girl let down by everyone in her life, clutching desperately at her girlhood dream only because it had kept her from losing all hope. It is as far from romantic as possible.
I was happy to find the writing still beautiful, the character’s voice still strong, and the worldbuilding still transporting. Though my emotional reaction to the story between then and now changed, I am happy to have read it again, if only to shock myself into realising how much I have changed.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fantastic collection of Lindholm/Hobb short stories, with fascinating introductions to each one. I would’ve liked more than 4 new stories included, but the previously-published choices selected were all fantastic rereads.
A brilliant showcase of talent, loved every story.
A brilliant showcase of talent, loved every story.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In his introduction to this anthology, Martin assures us what to expect: a doorstopper of a book filled with stories by authors from wildly different genres. I appreciate the idea and the motivation behind it, to encourage readers to broaden their horizons, but it did make Warriors a marmite book for me.
Even though this anthology as a whole has a middling score, some of the best and most unlikely short stories I’ve read were included in this volume and I am glad to have read them. In this I feel Martin and Dozois succeeded. My horizon was broadened, for better or for worse.
The King of Norway — Cecilia Holland. 1.75 ⭐️
Even though this anthology as a whole has a middling score, some of the best and most unlikely short stories I’ve read were included in this volume and I am glad to have read them. In this I feel Martin and Dozois succeeded. My horizon was broadened, for better or for worse.
The King of Norway — Cecilia Holland. 1.75 ⭐️
Could not get into this story. Seemed well-researched, but the characters bored me and the plot moved far too fast in the beginnning.
Forever Bound — Joe Haldeman: 4.5 ⭐️
An interesting story set against impressive worldbuilding. Sympathetic characters. The ending felt rushed and some concepts introduced felt unexplored.
The Triumph — Robin Hobb: 3 ⭐️
This was just fine. The story suffered from the dual POV, and the ending was a little too predictable. Interesting ideas surrounding the futility of war, though.
Clean Slate — Lawrence Block: 4 ⭐️
Incredibly disturbing story filled with a central mystery that, once figured out, leaves a reader wishing she might be wrong.
And Ministers of Grace —Tad Williams: 2.5 ⭐️
Just fine, an unsympathetic main character who didn’t deserve the ending they got. I didn’t connect with this story in any way.
Soldierin’ —Joe R. Lansdale: 1 ⭐️
Did not like this story at all. Not a fan of lazy apostrophe style dialectin’, seemed stereotypical and parodic. Too much forced humour and an abrupt, nonsensical ending.
Dirae — Peter S. Beagle — 5 ⭐️
A favourite of mine. Absolutely fantastic interpretation of what makes a warrior earn their title. Very odd beginning that pays off in a big way. The perfect length.
The Custom of the Army — Diana Gabaldon: 1.25 ⭐️
Relies on the reader being familiar with this author’s previous work. Absolutely nothing done to introduce characters. Not a good Lord John story, and far too long.
Seven Years From Home — Naomi Novik: 3.75 ⭐️
A good short story, brilliantly written, fantastic worldbuilding, great side characters. Main character was a bit naff and the ending was a letdown.
The Eagle and the Rabbit — Steven Saylor — 5 ⭐️
Fantastic story, well-researched, interesting characters. Might have been great if the editors had put this story right after or before Robin Hobb’s Triumph. Fantastic ending, does not overstay its welcome.
The Pit — James Rollins — 5 ⭐️
The most heartbreaking story in the anthology, this is a complete reimagining of the anthology’s concept. Not for the faint-hearted, the author pulls zero punches as we are ruthlessly taken through the brutal life of a true warrior. I cried more than once reading this one.
Out of the Dark — David Weber: 2.25 ⭐️
This could’ve been amazing, but it was half as long as it should’ve been, there were too many characters, and the ending was not foreshadowed nearly enough. The worldbuilding was interesting, however.
The Girls From Avenger — Carrie Vaughn — 5 ⭐️
I loved this story. A quietly determined warrior will not allow herself to be put down or pushed away as she tries to discover an important truth. Fantastically written, very poignant, and a great ending.
Ancient Ways — S.M. Stirling: 2 ⭐️
Too long, worldbuilding was not explained at all. Couldn’t find my way into this story at all. The twist at the end, and two of the three MCs were very cool, though.
Ninieslando — Howard Waldrop: 1.75 ⭐️
Again, I just could not get into this one. It was a very interesting premise that grew flimsy very fast. The ending was not great, the characters bled together.
Recidivist — Gardner Dozois: 3.75 ⭐️
Very cool short story about a warrior who doesn’t know when to quit. Amazing worldbuilding, cool ending, but Dozois tends to overexplain a little in his writing.
My Name is Legion — David Morrell — 1.25 ⭐️
Too long, boring characters, a meandering plot that ends no where.
Defenders of the Frontier — Robert Silverberg: 4 ⭐️
A well-written story about the last soldiers of a forgotten regiment. Very well-written with cool worldbuilding expertly weaved in. Great ending. I didn’t connect with the characters as well as I felt I should’ve, however.
The Scroll — David Ball 4.5 ⭐️
Excellent short story but a very tough read. Themes surrounding hope, religion, and the rules of war. Perfect ending and I connected with the main character so well. It was incredibly bleak, even for me, and could’ve been a little shorter.
The Mystery Knight — George R.R. Martin 3.5 ⭐️
As usual, Martin’s writing is excellent but this story is long, to the point of overindulgence, and throughout I felt I needed to have a history of Westeros open to fill the gaping worldbuilding holes I was just expected to know.
I love the characters of Dunk and Egg, and in this instalment they did not disappoint, but the side characters were many and lacking, which caused the plot to lack the usual punch I’ve come to expect from a Martin story.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I’ve come to expect a lot better from this author.
informative
slow-paced
Although I thought this book was interesting, it was filled with what I thought were contrasting ideas and other facts twisted to fit James’ thesis.
Perhaps a product of its time, I was expecting much more of a focus on historical Celts rather than a long-winded commentary on the various identities adopted and maintained by the people of the British Isles at the turn of the century. Although, as James states, he doesn’t necessarily see historical Celts as more than a modern construct, so maybe that’s on me.
Overall I did enjoy having my ideas challenged but felt the chip biting the author’s shoulder throughout the book too much to allow myself to properly muse.
Perhaps a product of its time, I was expecting much more of a focus on historical Celts rather than a long-winded commentary on the various identities adopted and maintained by the people of the British Isles at the turn of the century. Although, as James states, he doesn’t necessarily see historical Celts as more than a modern construct, so maybe that’s on me.
Overall I did enjoy having my ideas challenged but felt the chip biting the author’s shoulder throughout the book too much to allow myself to properly muse.
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s an okay, easy read. The story is pretty formulaic, with the dual-history narrative providing a little flavour. The promising front half of the book was let down by the rushed paint-by-numbers act 2 and 3, and the dialogue (apart from Kitty’s) sounded wooden. It was obviously well-researched, and I enjoyed the premise, Jacob and Kitty.
Overall I feel the plot and characters weren’t interesting or twisty enough to sustain the length of the book.
Overall I feel the plot and characters weren’t interesting or twisty enough to sustain the length of the book.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Memoirs aren’t my thing, but the writing was delicious enough to carry me through this story.
I am born and bred in Scotland (lowlands) — and I mean it when I say that reading this book made me feel like an outsider in my own country. Liptrot’s gradual sober rediscovery of her beautiful alien world was a fascinating read.
In comparison, the beginning was hampered by a disconnected feeling. It was as if I was reading the experience through cotton wool. This contrasted quite heavily with the visceral, sober retelling of the latter two-thirds of the book. I don’t know if this was intentional but it left me feeling unsatisfied.
It was also much too long. I feel like it could’ve been quite a bit shorter, with some sections feeling a tad over indulgent. Great writing covers a multitude of sins, however.
Recommend.
I am born and bred in Scotland (lowlands) — and I mean it when I say that reading this book made me feel like an outsider in my own country. Liptrot’s gradual sober rediscovery of her beautiful alien world was a fascinating read.
In comparison, the beginning was hampered by a disconnected feeling. It was as if I was reading the experience through cotton wool. This contrasted quite heavily with the visceral, sober retelling of the latter two-thirds of the book. I don’t know if this was intentional but it left me feeling unsatisfied.
It was also much too long. I feel like it could’ve been quite a bit shorter, with some sections feeling a tad over indulgent. Great writing covers a multitude of sins, however.
Recommend.
Not my cup of tea. This is the first book I’ve DNF’d on Storygraph since I began tracking 3 years ago.
Here’s why:
- A predictable plot with an over-reliance on tropes written very straight made this boring to read.
- Didn’t vibe with the author’s writing style. Too many italics and short choppy paragraphs for emphasis. So much imagery getting in the way of the story.
- The main character was entirely unlikable and, because of how predictable the plot was, seemed very, very dumb with what she was wilfully misunderstanding.
ex: Thinking Kaan was only healing her for the fun of it. Of course he was going to save her. Come on. - Too much exposition just plopped down into the story without finesse.
- Too many unnecessary worldbuilding elements clogging up the story with an overreliance on the reader needing to consult the extensive glossary to understand. Pulled me out of the story every time.
Essi’s entire tiny arc. How is a reader supposed to care about the death of a character we were introduced to only twenty pages before she dies? Let it cook a little. - Using the words “male” and “female” as nouns got very old very fast.
- Dae.
