jaedia's reviews
97 reviews

Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

The Watchers by A.M. Shine
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.

The characters were wooden, the narrator was boring, and while I was mildly intrigued by the Watchers themselves, I didn't care what was going on, why, or how. Just bored.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Minor: Gore and Torture

Sea of Souls by N.C. Scrimgeour
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

Great worldbuilding, magic and lore, plot, and prose sadly let down by poor execution of tension, character actions, and a couple odd writing devices.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn by Cal Black

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and War

Minor: Gore, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, and Medical content

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

There are

two

very graphic

child birth scenes

. (continued)

One is more clinical which would affect those with medical trauma. The other is second hand with a lot more emotion and viscera.

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Infidelity, Racism, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis