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kitvaria_sarene's reviews
2197 reviews
This Charming Man by C.K. McDonnell, Caimh McDonnell
4.75
This Charming Man by C.K. McDonnell is the second book about the staff of the Stranger Times newspaper.
I enjoyed it even more than the first, as it was equally weird, fun and chaotic, but the characters started to feel more rounded.
Yes, they are still bonkers and over the top, but that's on purpose and fits the story like, to use a German saying, a fist fits an eye!
New adventures and mysteries pare up with questions from the first book to make for a marvelous reading experience.
Don't read this if you have a problem with swearing or sarcasm. Definitely get yourself a copy if that sounds appealing!
I enjoyed it even more than the first, as it was equally weird, fun and chaotic, but the characters started to feel more rounded.
Yes, they are still bonkers and over the top, but that's on purpose and fits the story like, to use a German saying, a fist fits an eye!
New adventures and mysteries pare up with questions from the first book to make for a marvelous reading experience.
Don't read this if you have a problem with swearing or sarcasm. Definitely get yourself a copy if that sounds appealing!
If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois
4.0
If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois is a short and cute, cosy urban fantasy. There's just a hint of romance in it, which made the book all the more appealing to me!
I loved the light magical home makeover, and the cat companion, as well as the new neighbourhood.
There is a murder mystery in here, just as a heads up, as some don't like a mystery bit in their cosy UF, while others enjoy it all the more.
I loved the light magical home makeover, and the cat companion, as well as the new neighbourhood.
There is a murder mystery in here, just as a heads up, as some don't like a mystery bit in their cosy UF, while others enjoy it all the more.
Gates of Sorrow by J.E. Hannaford
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
4.75
Gates of Sorrow by JE Hannaford is a great sequel!
While many of those suffer from “middle book syndrome”, this was just as enjoyable as the first. As book one ended on a cliffhanger, book two jumps right back into the action. Or rather, into the plot! While there are some action scenes, this book is way more about the people, the plans, the world and everything going on.
It's still epic fantasy that manages to balance darkness and hope perfectly, so it's neither overly dark but neither is it too light or fluffy.
The darker parts are countered by strong friendships, nice banter, and a good dose of adventure! I do love a found family bound together with supportive relationships. While evil antiheroes can be compelling (looking at you M.R.Fletcher) there is a relief in finding characters whose fate you care about because you like them as people. These days it can be a relief to escape into a book where you can read about genuinely good people working together.
As if I didn't love the moonhounds enough, we get yet another animal companion, and I'm so in love! Cute, and still very handy to have as a friend. I want a Charver AND a moonhound please! Oh, and did I mention, there's dragons?
Those are just a glimpse of the fascinating and sprawling world(s) Hannaford has created. With a background in biology, I adore how realistic everything feels in her world. While I'm happy to suspend disbelief to a degree, some books just make this easier than others. Here I felt right at home, despite all the fresh ideas.
The stakes have risen for all of the POV characters, and big things have been set in motion. While I felt the ending was quite satisfying, this is clearly leading up to a whole new level of danger and a possible war.
I can't wait to see how the three different POVs will connect at some point, hopefully!
While many of those suffer from “middle book syndrome”, this was just as enjoyable as the first. As book one ended on a cliffhanger, book two jumps right back into the action. Or rather, into the plot! While there are some action scenes, this book is way more about the people, the plans, the world and everything going on.
It's still epic fantasy that manages to balance darkness and hope perfectly, so it's neither overly dark but neither is it too light or fluffy.
The darker parts are countered by strong friendships, nice banter, and a good dose of adventure! I do love a found family bound together with supportive relationships. While evil antiheroes can be compelling (looking at you M.R.Fletcher) there is a relief in finding characters whose fate you care about because you like them as people. These days it can be a relief to escape into a book where you can read about genuinely good people working together.
As if I didn't love the moonhounds enough, we get yet another animal companion, and I'm so in love! Cute, and still very handy to have as a friend. I want a Charver AND a moonhound please! Oh, and did I mention, there's dragons?
Those are just a glimpse of the fascinating and sprawling world(s) Hannaford has created. With a background in biology, I adore how realistic everything feels in her world. While I'm happy to suspend disbelief to a degree, some books just make this easier than others. Here I felt right at home, despite all the fresh ideas.
The stakes have risen for all of the POV characters, and big things have been set in motion. While I felt the ending was quite satisfying, this is clearly leading up to a whole new level of danger and a possible war.
I can't wait to see how the three different POVs will connect at some point, hopefully!
Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher
4.75
Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher is another amazing book in the series.
This time we get an m/m couple, which made for a nice change.
I loved seeing more of the world, and especially getting a better glimpse into other species and societies!
There's the typical banter and humour I so love in these books, so I'm utterly happy and satisfied. Even more so when I discovered there's a book 4 by now!
This time we get an m/m couple, which made for a nice change.
I loved seeing more of the world, and especially getting a better glimpse into other species and societies!
There's the typical banter and humour I so love in these books, so I'm utterly happy and satisfied. Even more so when I discovered there's a book 4 by now!
Yin and Yang: A Fool's Beginning by Odette C. Bell
3.5
Yin and Yang is a rather predictable fantasy with the chosen one being a young woman, who meets a very reserved young soldier, who is just drawn to her.
I definitely liked that the "romance" part in here is so slow, there is just a tad of attraction, but no surrounding drama yet.
I did enjoy how the Yin is a strong woman, taught to be a fighter with special magic, but she's also not afraid to cry. So often the "strong female characters" are just stubborn, annoying and good at everything just because.
Yin definitely is stubborn as well, but she is willing to work hard, and actually sacrifice for what she believes in. I enjoyed having a woman who isn't just extra graceful and immediate godi at everything.
Despite this, it's still quite full of tropes. So if you are looking for something fresh and surprising, this book will definitely not be your right choice. If you're however looking for something easy to digest, it's definitely worth a look.
I definitely liked that the "romance" part in here is so slow, there is just a tad of attraction, but no surrounding drama yet.
I did enjoy how the Yin is a strong woman, taught to be a fighter with special magic, but she's also not afraid to cry. So often the "strong female characters" are just stubborn, annoying and good at everything just because.
Yin definitely is stubborn as well, but she is willing to work hard, and actually sacrifice for what she believes in. I enjoyed having a woman who isn't just extra graceful and immediate godi at everything.
Despite this, it's still quite full of tropes. So if you are looking for something fresh and surprising, this book will definitely not be your right choice. If you're however looking for something easy to digest, it's definitely worth a look.
The Dark Feather by Anna Stephens
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
The Dark Feather by Anna Stephens delivers an epic conclusion to one of the best dark fantasy series I've read.
This book has ripped out my heart and stomped on it a couple of times, but it also made me feel hope. There is a perfectly struck balance between the horrendous events and those (big and small) moments of gratification and joy.
The characters are absolutely one of the main strengths of this series. They are all incredibly well written, and feel totally real. All the characters have depths of motivation and mindset that make their actions not just understandable but entirely reasonable, so that you even empathise or sympathise with the villains. At other times you can feel hate towards the supposed heroes. There are no stereotypes, instead all the characters have a whole range of facets, which meant I ended up rooting for almost all of them at different points in the story. When you find yourself feeling for the obviously wrong people, then you know a writer knows their craft to the bones.
For example, if you follow my reviews, you know how much I usually detest romance. Here, some of the romantic relationships are so integral to the characters that I was totally hooked and fully invested in how things turned out. None of it felt like the artificial drama - the utterly avoidable manufactured conflict - that you so often see. Instead it was just human all the way through. People being believable and credible, doing the best they could in the circumstances. If delivering that kind of authenticity is not a mark of the highest craft, I don't know what is!
The world building is superb, and the politics get ever more entangled. The way the cultures, religions and societies are entwined again illustrated exceptional levels of the writer’s craft. With a lot of books it feels like there's a nice two dimensional background, like the backdrop on a theatre stage. Here it feels utterly three dimensional, as though I just walked right into this world, and could have lifted any stone, or walked around any corner and the world would still have been fully fleshed out in depth and detail.
All in all this one emotional rollercoaster of a story, which managed to leave me both hollowed out, and yet somehow also full of hope. How that works? Some kind of magic…
I was utterly satisfied, even though I felt like yelling at the author quite a few times along the way. Some of these decisions really hurt, but they also all feel very organic, and just needed to happen.
It'll take me a while to fully digest this, as the best stories do!
This book has ripped out my heart and stomped on it a couple of times, but it also made me feel hope. There is a perfectly struck balance between the horrendous events and those (big and small) moments of gratification and joy.
The characters are absolutely one of the main strengths of this series. They are all incredibly well written, and feel totally real. All the characters have depths of motivation and mindset that make their actions not just understandable but entirely reasonable, so that you even empathise or sympathise with the villains. At other times you can feel hate towards the supposed heroes. There are no stereotypes, instead all the characters have a whole range of facets, which meant I ended up rooting for almost all of them at different points in the story. When you find yourself feeling for the obviously wrong people, then you know a writer knows their craft to the bones.
For example, if you follow my reviews, you know how much I usually detest romance. Here, some of the romantic relationships are so integral to the characters that I was totally hooked and fully invested in how things turned out. None of it felt like the artificial drama - the utterly avoidable manufactured conflict - that you so often see. Instead it was just human all the way through. People being believable and credible, doing the best they could in the circumstances. If delivering that kind of authenticity is not a mark of the highest craft, I don't know what is!
The world building is superb, and the politics get ever more entangled. The way the cultures, religions and societies are entwined again illustrated exceptional levels of the writer’s craft. With a lot of books it feels like there's a nice two dimensional background, like the backdrop on a theatre stage. Here it feels utterly three dimensional, as though I just walked right into this world, and could have lifted any stone, or walked around any corner and the world would still have been fully fleshed out in depth and detail.
All in all this one emotional rollercoaster of a story, which managed to leave me both hollowed out, and yet somehow also full of hope. How that works? Some kind of magic…
I was utterly satisfied, even though I felt like yelling at the author quite a few times along the way. Some of these decisions really hurt, but they also all feel very organic, and just needed to happen.
It'll take me a while to fully digest this, as the best stories do!
Backstitched and Stabbed by Tilly Wallace
4.0
I'm quite enjoying this cosy mystery, with a small dash of fantasy, series.
Backstitched and Stabbed by Tilly Wallace is the second book, and our main character is once again drawn into solving a murder, close to herself.
I liked how this has a LGBT flavour, showing the prejudices back in the day, without it overwhelming the story or tone of the book. It's just one more layer adding a bit more depth.
I must confess I read it mostly for the voice of the main character, and didn't think the murder mystery part itself was too gripping. However the setting and tone of the story still made this a quick and fun read, I finished more or less in one go.
Backstitched and Stabbed by Tilly Wallace is the second book, and our main character is once again drawn into solving a murder, close to herself.
I liked how this has a LGBT flavour, showing the prejudices back in the day, without it overwhelming the story or tone of the book. It's just one more layer adding a bit more depth.
I must confess I read it mostly for the voice of the main character, and didn't think the murder mystery part itself was too gripping. However the setting and tone of the story still made this a quick and fun read, I finished more or less in one go.
Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle
adventurous
dark
emotional
4.5
Bonds of Chaos by Zack Argyle is the compelling finale in a series that got ever more epic.
While I had some niggles with the first book, Argyle definitely gets better with each book, and so this third book is a very solid read!
There's a good mix of friendships, family, found family and bonding, gripping action and an epic world. For me the balance was stuck really well, and the switches between slower and fast paced scenes kept me glued to the pages, or rather to my headphones.
Good characters, intriguing world building, unpredictable twists and a satisfying conclusion to the plot, what more could I have asked for?
While I had some niggles with the first book, Argyle definitely gets better with each book, and so this third book is a very solid read!
There's a good mix of friendships, family, found family and bonding, gripping action and an epic world. For me the balance was stuck really well, and the switches between slower and fast paced scenes kept me glued to the pages, or rather to my headphones.
Good characters, intriguing world building, unpredictable twists and a satisfying conclusion to the plot, what more could I have asked for?
Atoned by Steve J McHugh
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Atoned by Steve McHugh was one fantastic read!
It's SciFi, but it felt as close up and fast as an urban fantasy. I loved the banter and bickering, and as always the amazing friendships and loyalties. This, and the very organic, diverse cast is one of the major draws of McHugh's books, and they only get better! I especially loved the android Brokk, as I was always drawn to the non human characters.
I enjoyed how there was a bit of an overlap with his previous book Blackcoat, without having to read the other one to get the full experience. Just a nice little easter egg sort of thing.
The plot is action heavy and the pace is quick. Once you start to read, you really can't stop, so I more or less inhaled this whole book in one go!
It's SciFi, but it felt as close up and fast as an urban fantasy. I loved the banter and bickering, and as always the amazing friendships and loyalties. This, and the very organic, diverse cast is one of the major draws of McHugh's books, and they only get better! I especially loved the android Brokk, as I was always drawn to the non human characters.
I enjoyed how there was a bit of an overlap with his previous book Blackcoat, without having to read the other one to get the full experience. Just a nice little easter egg sort of thing.
The plot is action heavy and the pace is quick. Once you start to read, you really can't stop, so I more or less inhaled this whole book in one go!
The Hallows by H.L.Tinsley
4.75
The Hallows by H.L. Tinsley is a 1920 urban fantasy, which was a very nice change in pace!
It's not as dark as her previous series, but it still is just as unique and wonderfully weird.
I mean, floating nuns who somehow turned into fighters as well? How could I not ask for an early copy to read??
What makes this book so much fun?
The characters. I loved how the camaraderie and banter made for a great contrast and counterbalance to a rather bleak at times world.
There is humour to be found between the grit, and it worked very well for me!
I mean, these teams who are used to gruesome scenes and fighting, are grouped into themes. Our main team - garden - has not just our male MC Camellia, but also others like Forget Me Not. It should be strange, but it just worked so well in this world for some reason.
I also really appreciated how Tinsley didn't just describe how these people look, but rather focused on how a scene is set, and feels. As someone with aphantasia, I was utterly engrossed in the world, while descriptions that are just on the surface level of how things look often leave me a bit cold.
The world building is slowly trickled in, but deepens out quite a bit. I love how corporate greed, religious themes and also some social responsibilities are all weaved throughout the story, so it feels rather realistic, instead of a very black and white world.
The friction and also a willingness to grow regular humans, and auld blood together, while other groups try to separate and spread hate felt is as relevant to today's society as it ever was.
But this book can't just make you think, it also has fast paced and addictive action scenes that had me glued to the pages! Be it monsters, previously mentioned floating nun, or just a race against time, I was hooked.
So a good deal of depth in the issues covered, balanced out by a good dose of humour, flavoured with a nice pinch of weirdness, all stirred with good action. What's not to love?
It's not as dark as her previous series, but it still is just as unique and wonderfully weird.
I mean, floating nuns who somehow turned into fighters as well? How could I not ask for an early copy to read??
What makes this book so much fun?
The characters. I loved how the camaraderie and banter made for a great contrast and counterbalance to a rather bleak at times world.
There is humour to be found between the grit, and it worked very well for me!
I mean, these teams who are used to gruesome scenes and fighting, are grouped into themes. Our main team - garden - has not just our male MC Camellia, but also others like Forget Me Not. It should be strange, but it just worked so well in this world for some reason.
I also really appreciated how Tinsley didn't just describe how these people look, but rather focused on how a scene is set, and feels. As someone with aphantasia, I was utterly engrossed in the world, while descriptions that are just on the surface level of how things look often leave me a bit cold.
The world building is slowly trickled in, but deepens out quite a bit. I love how corporate greed, religious themes and also some social responsibilities are all weaved throughout the story, so it feels rather realistic, instead of a very black and white world.
The friction and also a willingness to grow regular humans, and auld blood together, while other groups try to separate and spread hate felt is as relevant to today's society as it ever was.
But this book can't just make you think, it also has fast paced and addictive action scenes that had me glued to the pages! Be it monsters, previously mentioned floating nun, or just a race against time, I was hooked.
So a good deal of depth in the issues covered, balanced out by a good dose of humour, flavoured with a nice pinch of weirdness, all stirred with good action. What's not to love?