hwesta's reviews
371 reviews
All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie
adventurous
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
A charming and strange story. I don't read much historical fiction or historical fantasy, and I enjoyed looking up the many real historic events and places mentioned. Eyvind is a distinct character, and his adventure is fun, though related very dryly by a scribe several hundred years later.
Rose/House by Arkady Martine
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
Not a book for me, sadly. It's a gothic mystery portrait of a sentient house, and I'm discovering that I don't really like gothic stuff. Too slow and meandering for me when I didn't like the characters.
Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo
emotional
reflective
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
A lighthearted sci fi mystery. I really enjoyed the setting, which evoked the 1800s (railcars, telegrams, universities) in a scifi setting (200+ years on Jupiter). The writing style took me a while to get into. Mossa and Pleiti are a delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky
dark
hopeful
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Too grim for me, but definitely did some interesting things
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Murder, Sexism, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Rape
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Well written but not my jam.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Sweet and light and a quick read, but not as impactful for me as a bunch of Ursula's other works
Suradanna and the Sea by Rebecca Fraimow
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Pitched to me as "the one about trade routes, magical fertilizer, & one girl's centuries-long effort to impress a woman who is already in a committed relationship with a boat", I started this on a whim and immediately devoured it. I likes the main character's voice and the central premise. It was a lot of fun to see how Suradanna dealt with things and how things changed over time.
I love how differently Suradanna and the captain reacted to their situation; the captainretreating from society and focusing on the boat and the sea, while Suradanna continually reinvented herself.
Nice touch that theunchanging sea eventually changed too!
I love how differently Suradanna and the captain reacted to their situation; the captain
Nice touch that the