houxli's reviews
285 reviews

Good Vampires Go to Heaven by Sandra Hill

1.5

The Angel Wore Fangs by Sandra Hill

0.75

Dr. STONE, Vol. 1 by Riichiro Inagaki, Boichi

funny informative fast-paced

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

3.75

The story is rock solid (hardy har har), a succinct establishment of a shounen story.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

challenging mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

Ooph ow my bones and brain and heart.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Gideon is a perfect narrator.

Even Vampires Get the Blues by Sandra Hill

1.0

The word "helpmate" is used, so it's in the deep end.

Vampire in Paradise by Sandra Hill

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.0

"Apparently clown sex is the new politically correct perversion."

Let the Mountains Be My Grave by Francesca Tacchi

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I loved the multifaceted look of Italy: the mountains, Etruscan references, the anti-fascist resistance, the multiple languages spoken on the peninsula. That's the real meat of the story.
What didn't work for me was how Angitia was used craft-wise. She's a goddess that solves every problem. She's not a character, she is Veleno's superpowers with a voice. I wish we got more of her thoughts on anything. 
Spoiler tagged for the ending conflict and textual suicidal ideation.

I did not buy Veleno's suicidality. I believe that he doesn't care if he dies because he can't see a future for himself, but I don't believe that he wants to die. At the very end, when Angitia tells him she'll protect him from the lightning, the story pretends that Veleno will say "no, that's okay, I'll just die here." It's not a conflict, that's not a climax. He tearfully realizes that he'll live for Rame, but that's only after throwing his mother under the bus, which especially sucks because his reason for getting involved with the partisans was to avenge his father specifically. "I'll die for my dad, but fuck even checking if my mom's still alive." I hate Veleno for that. Would Angitia have listened to him if he did say no? She's not a character, so we don't know.

That being said, I leave the book enjoying the shape of the plot, the prose, the setting, and most of the characters, while also disliking Veleno and the function of Angitia. But the good overshadows my feelings towards the end, and I'd wholeheartedly recommend this.

Christmas in Transylvania by Sandra Hill

lighthearted fast-paced

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

0.5

This might be the evilest book I've read.
Karl takes Grace out of an abusive relationship, then he orders her around the entire book, yells at her, growls at her, threatens to hit her, and she deescalates because she's already been in an abusive relationship, so she knows how to try to protect herself. But this time it's okay because he hasn't hit her, so it counts as a romance. Evil shit.

The Craft of Love by E.E. Ottoman

lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.75

Cozy, deliberate, and honest. There's very little action going on, but it's exactly what I wanted here when I craved it, with a little heartbreak from being the person you want to be in the face of someone who refuses to see that.