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jackacj's reviews
10 reviews
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery
Minor: Vomit
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Writing this review in the middle of Ruin and Rising because I was too lazy to do it earlier.
I liked this book! It was a good continuation of Shadow and Bone. I loved Sturmhond's character, he was such a strong addition to the series. I liked the plot and the ideas of this book. However, I have issues with the execution.Alina is at the Little Palace for a while in the book. This is mostly glossed over. I believe this was a mistake. The side characters, specifically the ones who survive the battle at the end of the book, are painfully underdeveloped. Like, seriously. Zoya is a bully. David is basically a stereotypical autistic person (I'm sorry but it's true). Nadia exists. Genya is great and all but she's in the book for like 2 minutes. These characters desperately need some depth . Also, I am not sure how I feel about what this book did to Mal. I really like him in the first book where he is, well. I dunno. I am feeling ambivalent about - on one hand, it makes sense, on the other, it all feels too needless . Finally, merzost is sick as fuck.
I liked this book! It was a good continuation of Shadow and Bone. I loved Sturmhond's character, he was such a strong addition to the series. I liked the plot and the ideas of this book. However, I have issues with the execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: War, Sexual harassment, and Torture
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Shadow and Bone: Collector's Edition by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
First off, I'd like to mention I'm writing the review after reading Siege and Storm and half of Ruin and Rising (I love it so far). Why? Laziness.
I like this book. It achieves what it sets out to do competently. The characters are reasonably likable and interesting.Mal, the main love interest, is great in this book. My favorite part of the book is what the book does with the Darkling. The kiss took me aback and I didn't like it at all. I thought he was extremely creepy being sexual and all with a seventeen-year-old while he's hundreds of years old. This turns out to be intentional and the Darkling really is a big, manipulative, creepy asshole. Love that.
I like this book. It achieves what it sets out to do competently. The characters are reasonably likable and interesting.
My děti ze stanice ZOO by Kai Hermann, Christiane F., Horst Rieck
dark
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
A great continuation of Six of Crows. The characters were still amazing, I enjoyed the prose - this time, the plot also had a bigger focus. I loved the book - but I have two and a half problems with it that prevent me from 5/5. Major spoilers ahead.
The final part of the book, "Action and Echo", felt very rushed to me. I knew Matthias was going to die and it still felt sudden, and not in a good way, but in an extremely abrupt way. We were shown the emotional consequences of this on the crows, but I still felt the book moved on too quickly, and set the death up even quicker. Ninna completely disappears a bit after Matthias's.
The second problem is the resolution to Wylan's plotline - I actually loved how it ended up, but I hate we were only told he got back his mother and she is starting to become herself again but it's going to be a long process. Why couldn't we have had another POV chapter of Wlan's? Can you imagine how powerful that would be? Marya Henriks overall feels like a plot device, not a character, which is a pity - alas, instead of expanding on her character and writing a beautiful emotional reunion we had a chapter of Wylan taking the Van Eck mansion. The last problem is much smaller - Inej. While I love Kanej was resolved and wouldn't have it any other way, we should have seen Inej talk to her parents. The whole book builds up to I nej telling her parents what she's done - if she could justify it somehow, if what she did right. The second conflict was resolved in her fight with Dunyasha, the second? Never, apparently.
Even so, I love the book.
The second problem is the resolution to Wylan's plotline - I actually loved how it ended up, but I hate we were only told he got back his mother and she is starting to become herself again but it's going to be a long process. Why couldn't we have had another POV chapter of Wlan's? Can you imagine how powerful that would be? Marya Henriks overall feels like a plot device, not a character, which is a pity - alas, instead of expanding on her character and writing a beautiful emotional reunion we had a chapter of Wylan taking the Van Eck mansion. The last problem is much smaller - Inej. While I love Kanej was resolved and wouldn't have it any other way, we should have seen Inej talk to her parents. The whole book builds up to I nej telling her parents what she's done - if she could justify it somehow, if what she did right. The second conflict was resolved in her fight with Dunyasha, the second? Never, apparently.
Even so, I love the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault, Ableism, War, and Rape
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.75
I love this book. Truly got me back into reading, though the Prašina trilogy certainly helped.
The crows are interesting, charming, and funny. I loved the prose - it was descriptive just enough that it never got in the way of the plot but gave me a great idea of how things looked. The backstories of the characters were captivating, the whole beautifully emotional. However,it ends on a cliffhanger and thus without reading the sequel you'll have no closure and a certain part made me uncomfortable . However the atmosphere, dialogue, action... it was amazing.
The crows are interesting, charming, and funny. I loved the prose - it was descriptive just enough that it never got in the way of the plot but gave me a great idea of how things looked. The backstories of the characters were captivating, the whole beautifully emotional. However,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual assault
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