islayfraser's reviews
391 reviews

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Au 5e by M. P. Boisvert

medium-paced

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

4.0

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

adventurous reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Insanely good writing. Way more politically radical than you usually see in mainstream media! And it goes deep into the religion and politics of Oz, which I wasn't expecting. A little slow in some sections, but interesting nonetheless, and beautifully crafted throughout.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

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

4.25

This book did a phenomenal job of making me dislike the narrator by way of white feminism, which was actually the point!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.75

So good and so complex. It addresses so many issues relevant in Canada and other countries, right now and in the past. Intersectional feminism, queer and gender theory, characters of colour, this book has it all! It even addresses decolonization, which I (surprisingly, considering how colonial many fantasy works are) don't see much in fantasy literature!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism

Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

More Than This by Patrick Ness

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This is the most invested I've been in a book in a long time.

Snow White and Other Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm

adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

dark mysterious reflective slow-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

4.25