jessrussellthenerd's reviews
23 reviews

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

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

2.0

Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense 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

4.0

I really enjoyed the story but I felt like books one and two were the lead up and this was meant to be the most mind blowing adventure but it didn’t really kick off until the last 30-25% of the book. And then as much as possible was crammed into the ending. Don’t get me wrong, the epilogue was *chefs kiss* but I felt it was just giving us everything we wanted, just felt like a cookie cutter ending. Still, don’t want this series to end and hope this isn’t the end of our Raven Boys.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

Picked this one up on a whim and was really pleasantly surprised. A very lovely story (based on Chinese Mythology) with classic but well done tropes. You really love the FMC and even though the story has a huge romantic plot, it never overshadows the story. Can’t wait to get to the second book of the duology.

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

adventurous dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

A very moving piece of folklore, I could have easily read another 300 pages. Not dark enough to be gothic but with beautiful prose and atmosphere it really swept me away.

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

A very sweet book based in regency Faerie England, a self discovery journey with a big dose of romance

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I realise I am in the minority on this one but I was really sad I didn’t love this book. The characters didn’t stand out for me, I liked the story but it just felt too formulaic to me.

Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

challenging emotional funny tense slow-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

That was a whirlwind! Glinda is the most relatable but most stressful character i've met. While the books dips a bit in the last quarter the ending is fantastic. Quiet hard to stick the landing on a book that focuses on the cycle of someone with severe depression and anxiety, but it really is worth the read. A complete page turner, you really do root for Glinda. I'm off to read more by the author rn.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Animal death

Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

Another fun installment with Royce and Hadrian. If you like old school fantasy, this is perfect. The addition of Princess Austria to the pair balances them out well and we get more magic in the action as a result. Such an easy read, they are no reasons not to keep reading this series.