jo_cbooks's reviews
253 reviews

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

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4.5

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

The Diamond of London by Andrea Penrose

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adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

The Diamond of London is a historical fiction novel based on the early life of Lady Hester Stanhope. It is written as her biography/diary and explores her life in England before she found her ‘claim to fame’ in the Mediterranean.

My first reaction when I started this book (which I wrote down) was “Oh my goodness this is like HISTORICAL historical fiction?! Oh I am so excited. And written in epistolary? It couldn’t be better.” Because when I started reading I had not refreshed my memory on the fact that this was based on an actual historical figure. I am a sucker for strong females in history, and discovering someone else to fawn over and admire has been a pleasure!

The book was intriguing, enlightening, and entertaining. I felt transported to Victorian England with my blood boiling because of the injustice of how women were treated. Lady Hester was a force of nature defending her morals and fighting against the grain of society expectations. I really liked how the author chose to focus on her earlier years in England rather than her later years in the Levant that she is much more known for. It felt like a window into what drove Lady Hester to truly become the woman that historians remember her as today.

My only draw back with the book was that the spelling was American, despite the book being written like a diary of an English woman. I feel that British spelling should have been used to reflect the fact that the ‘author’ of the diary was English.

Overall, the effort that Andrea Penrose put in to research and understand the person that Lady Hester Stanhope was is reflected in the book. And not only the research of Lady Hester, but also the historical figures that migrated in and out of her life in England.

*thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Somewhere in the Deep is a south Asian inspired fantasy. Set on an island where the Collector rules all, Krescent spends her days fitting monsters in the pit to earn enough money to survive. When her chance at escape is ripped from her grasp, she is provided with a choice—go on an expedition deep into the mines in exchange for her freedom, or be enslaved to the Collector. Thrust into a party of strangers and enemies, Kress is tasked with keeping everyone alive as they face the unknown creatures that lay deep in the earth below the sea. But the deeper they venture, the more it feels as though something doesn’t want to let Kress out alive.

I went into this book not realize that there was one previously written in the same universe! I think if I had read Monsters Born and Made first, some of the world building wouldn’t have felt so choppy. I know nothing about south Asian mythology but this book made me want to explore it as the creatures described where not ones I’ve read in any other lore before.

Kress’s character growth throughout the story was well written. Her internal struggles with her past and her desire for a different future were explored in depth, though sometimes a bit repetitively. I appreciated seeing into her frustrations and strengths because of the life she was forced to live. I did not expect this book to contain much, if any, romance but I was pleasantly surprised.

There were a few writing errors that stood out to me. I was confused how they were able to keep track of time underground without sunlight? Their way of timekeeping was never explained. I also felt some scene transitions were incompletely. The plot was sometimes repetitive while they were within the mines, but this didn’t detract from the story for me. The ending felt a bit rushed, but I liked how it was left open for the potential for a sequel.

All in all, the book kept me engaged from start to finish. I was drawn in by the mystery of the monsters and the magic, and stayed for the politics and action.

*thank you Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs

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adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Shield Maiden is a reimagining of the last half of the epic poem, Beowulf, that follows the female lead, Fryda. This would be a great read for anyone who likes Viking-era narratives, mythology retellings, and strong female characters.

I will start by saying that it took me a little bit to get into the booK. It started off strong with the events of the earthquake, but after that it slowed down a little too much for me. But I wanted to push through because I remember being intrigued by the poem when we studied it in English class. And I am so glad I continued reading! The story picked up again quickly and I was enthralled until the bitter end.

The way that Sharon Emmerich intertwined the characters that we know form the poem with characters she created was wonderful. I loved that she gave names and back stories to small characters that were only briefly mentioned in the poem, making them key players in the narrative. I think her choice to change the roles of other well-known characters in order for Fryda to have a story was done well.

Overall, I thought Shield Maiden to be a creative and well written book. Not only was it a unique choice of story amidst the many Greek retellings that are being published, but it was a well executed adaptation, staying true to the epic poem while creating new voices.

*thank you Redhook Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Psyche and Eros: A Novel by Luna McNamara

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced