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irl_bookworms's reviews
1525 reviews
My Best Friend's Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner
emotional
funny
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? N/A
4.0
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I was sold immediately by the synopsis, but unfortunately something about it just didn’t quite make it all the way in novella format. Perhaps it was the first person present tense or the massive time jump in the plot. I was hooked on the first few pages, where Yeva kills her first dragon but is still severely injured. But once she’s taken to the city of her mother’s birth, the plot seems to flit intriguingly but never quite land.
I was searching for more character development from Yeva - I was craving to see her grow over time - rather than it being sped over in favour of the plot. Past that point, what I enjoyed reading the most was Yeva’s growing connection with Lady Sookhee, her challenges, and changes in point of view, and even then, I would have loved to have seen it explored more in the pages of a full length novel.
I almost wonder how this book would stand if the plot began simply when she is already known as a legendary dragon hunter, with maybe a flashback to the moment she killed her first dragon - showing that she wasn’t perfect from the start, that she was wounded in her first and awkward attempt. I think then the plot would have been much tighter with the focus of her slowly changing as she spends time with Lady Sookhee, instead of promising more than what a novella has the space to give.
I enjoyed myself with this novella, but I could see the sparkles of something amazing in the distance and the story simply left me craving more.
*I received an eARC from NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, & Tordotcom. All opinions are my own*
I was searching for more character development from Yeva - I was craving to see her grow over time - rather than it being sped over in favour of the plot. Past that point, what I enjoyed reading the most was Yeva’s growing connection with Lady Sookhee, her challenges, and changes in point of view, and even then, I would have loved to have seen it explored more in the pages of a full length novel.
I almost wonder how this book would stand if the plot began simply when she is already known as a legendary dragon hunter, with maybe a flashback to the moment she killed her first dragon - showing that she wasn’t perfect from the start, that she was wounded in her first and awkward attempt. I think then the plot would have been much tighter with the focus of her slowly changing as she spends time with Lady Sookhee, instead of promising more than what a novella has the space to give.
I enjoyed myself with this novella, but I could see the sparkles of something amazing in the distance and the story simply left me craving more.
*I received an eARC from NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, & Tordotcom. All opinions are my own*
The Bone King and the Starling by Elizabeth Stephens
dark
emotional
fast-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
i need morreeeeeee <3
But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25