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kitvaria_sarene's reviews
2366 reviews
The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington
3.0
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington is a coming off age book, that has a few rather dark moments,but still mostly feels like a YA story to me.
While not perfect, it has a cute little puppy / best doggy friend, and so easily managed to hook me.
I liked the main character, but found the plot a bit disjointed at times. There's more than one POV, which only slowly show how they are connected. The switch between didn't always feel organic, and the pacing just could be a lot smoother.
He world building however was interesting, and a main strength of the book for me. I liked the different races and creatures as well as the airships and the expectation of meeting something new.
The end was a bit unsatisfactory, and instead of making me want to read the sequel right away, as some cliffhangers or open endings do, it didn't really work for me.
All in all it was a quick and entertaining read, which I don't regret.
The Youngling: Synesthesia by Stephen Harrington is a coming off age book, that has a few rather dark moments,but still mostly feels like a YA story to me.
While not perfect, it has a cute little puppy / best doggy friend, and so easily managed to hook me.
I liked the main character, but found the plot a bit disjointed at times. There's more than one POV, which only slowly show how they are connected. The switch between didn't always feel organic, and the pacing just could be a lot smoother.
He world building however was interesting, and a main strength of the book for me. I liked the different races and creatures as well as the airships and the expectation of meeting something new.
The end was a bit unsatisfactory, and instead of making me want to read the sequel right away, as some cliffhangers or open endings do, it didn't really work for me.
All in all it was a quick and entertaining read, which I don't regret.
The Will of the World by M.J. Lindemann
3.0
Overall The Will of the World by M.J. Lindemann was an interesting read, which kept me entertained enough to finish it.
I enjoyed the complex politics, but found the writing style a bit too easy at times. Words and bits like “bro & sis”, running a “marathon” or “guiding a naughty child to a time-out chair” just didn't fit, and kept throwing me out of the story. Same for the ”labour party” and “president Sanders”.
In a fully secondary world it just stands out like a sore thumb to me.
It mostly had a coming of age, almost YA feel to it, though there are some older main characters, and a few spicy scenes, though not overly graphic.
I did enjoy the world building, and there were quite some interesting turns, which kept me interested despite these flaws.
I also liked the characters, even if they are a bit too tropey for my taste at times. We have not just one, but two very overpowered young men, a stone cold assassin, the bad politicians, and everything you'd expect.
The LGBT inclusiveness was a definite plus, with a bidding m/m romance, which just isn't a big deal to anyone.
All in all a book with a lot of promise, which could have don't with a bit more polishing and editing.
I enjoyed the complex politics, but found the writing style a bit too easy at times. Words and bits like “bro & sis”, running a “marathon” or “guiding a naughty child to a time-out chair” just didn't fit, and kept throwing me out of the story. Same for the ”labour party” and “president Sanders”.
In a fully secondary world it just stands out like a sore thumb to me.
It mostly had a coming of age, almost YA feel to it, though there are some older main characters, and a few spicy scenes, though not overly graphic.
I did enjoy the world building, and there were quite some interesting turns, which kept me interested despite these flaws.
I also liked the characters, even if they are a bit too tropey for my taste at times. We have not just one, but two very overpowered young men, a stone cold assassin, the bad politicians, and everything you'd expect.
The LGBT inclusiveness was a definite plus, with a bidding m/m romance, which just isn't a big deal to anyone.
All in all a book with a lot of promise, which could have don't with a bit more polishing and editing.
Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhart
4.0
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ!
Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhard is YA romance with an interesting twist. I really enjoyed the foster family background, and the found family aspect of the book. There's grief to struggle through, and I thought it was very well handled. Not taken too lightly, but also not overtaking the whole story or characters.
There's quite some dark parts, so beware trigger warnings if you don't like dark themes. I thought it gave the story a good depth that is often missing in similar stories.
I was quickly drawn in both by the tone and voice, as well as the mystery behind it all.
Strangers in Our Heads by Bri Eberhard is YA romance with an interesting twist. I really enjoyed the foster family background, and the found family aspect of the book. There's grief to struggle through, and I thought it was very well handled. Not taken too lightly, but also not overtaking the whole story or characters.
There's quite some dark parts, so beware trigger warnings if you don't like dark themes. I thought it gave the story a good depth that is often missing in similar stories.
I was quickly drawn in both by the tone and voice, as well as the mystery behind it all.
Warlock for Hire by Sean Stone
3.5
Warlock for Hire by Sean Stone is a quick read. I quite enjoyed the tone and voice, despite Eddie being quite arrogant and full of himself. I did like his sass, and the fourth wall breaking worked well for me.
The male gaze he has was getting really annoying at times, with him telling us (paraphrased, not an exact quote but absolutely the gist of it) how every man hopes he'll get some "recompense" for helping out a stunning woman, and any woman knows and will have used their looks for their advantage, unless they are ugly. Oh and I know how those stunning women look obviously.
I could look past it, as it's his character, and it was little bits here and there, not all of the time. He also at least accepts a no as a valid answer, so it could be worse.
The female main character is mostly useless, outside of one single moment. She's just very pretty and quite the damsel in distress, despite not wanting help.
Overall this was a fun and easy read, which I breezed through.
The male gaze he has was getting really annoying at times, with him telling us (paraphrased, not an exact quote but absolutely the gist of it) how every man hopes he'll get some "recompense" for helping out a stunning woman, and any woman knows and will have used their looks for their advantage, unless they are ugly. Oh and I know how those stunning women look obviously.
I could look past it, as it's his character, and it was little bits here and there, not all of the time. He also at least accepts a no as a valid answer, so it could be worse.
The female main character is mostly useless, outside of one single moment. She's just very pretty and quite the damsel in distress, despite not wanting help.
Overall this was a fun and easy read, which I breezed through.
Stakes and Bones by Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle, Ken Bebelle
3.0
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely!
Stakes and Bones by Men Bebelle
I was so looking forward to a female led urban fantasy!
While this book didn't have a lot of romance, it is definitely the set up for an enemies to lovers story.
It technically is urban fantasy, but I found it quite annoying how the female lead was supposed to be a trained fighter, but still can't help but think about just how hot the vampire is…
I mean, I find the male gaze in some UF books horrible, when female characters are described in detail by boobs and waist, while male characters just get a quick glance. The chiselled chins and rock hard muscles are just as bad to me.
Aside from that aspect, I found the plot a bit too similar to many other books I read before, and the main character just seems to get through things by sheer luck a lot of the time.
I would have liked more depth to the character, aside from having a sick mum, and more cohesion for the overall story.
Stakes and Bones by Men Bebelle
I was so looking forward to a female led urban fantasy!
While this book didn't have a lot of romance, it is definitely the set up for an enemies to lovers story.
It technically is urban fantasy, but I found it quite annoying how the female lead was supposed to be a trained fighter, but still can't help but think about just how hot the vampire is…
I mean, I find the male gaze in some UF books horrible, when female characters are described in detail by boobs and waist, while male characters just get a quick glance. The chiselled chins and rock hard muscles are just as bad to me.
Aside from that aspect, I found the plot a bit too similar to many other books I read before, and the main character just seems to get through things by sheer luck a lot of the time.
I would have liked more depth to the character, aside from having a sick mum, and more cohesion for the overall story.
The Huntress by Michael R. Miller
4.0
A quick bite with quite an emotional punch.
You can read this before and after the main series, so it makes for a good teaser for Miller's writing!
I'm happy for each female lead who isn't bogged down in romance, and I clicked really early on with her in this story. There is some romance at the start, but it's not at all the central part of thr story which is about war, family, duty, prejudice, growth and going on even when everything looks bad.
Having hunters as the main characters is decidedly a plus for me, who loves the woods and my bow and arrow!
If you're looking for a quick but not shallow bite of fantasy, this is a good choice!
You can read this before and after the main series, so it makes for a good teaser for Miller's writing!
I'm happy for each female lead who isn't bogged down in romance, and I clicked really early on with her in this story. There is some romance at the start, but it's not at all the central part of thr story which is about war, family, duty, prejudice, growth and going on even when everything looks bad.
Having hunters as the main characters is decidedly a plus for me, who loves the woods and my bow and arrow!
If you're looking for a quick but not shallow bite of fantasy, this is a good choice!
Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu
3.5
3,5* rounded up
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely.
I did like Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu enough to finish it, however it just didn't set itself apart enough from other, similar stories.
At times it felt like it was missing something, which might be due to there being a prequel novella, which might have made it easier to start into this new world.
I did really enjoy how the setting felt a bit more mixed up than the same / same western mediaeval standard. It Could have been fleshed out a bit better at times, but overall it was fun to explore this world.
Bits of the writing did throw me out of story though, with way too modern words / phrases here and there. It didn't really fit the rest of the tone in my eyes.
Which leads me to the prose itself could have used another round of tightening up. I prefer to learn through the story, character actions and dialogue, rather than being told things.
The characters had a similar problem for me, where they were good enough to keep me engaged but just a bit too close to the usual tropes to feel fully real.
This has a lot of promise, and I'm curious how future books will shine!
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely.
I did like Knights of the Alliance by Stefanie Chu enough to finish it, however it just didn't set itself apart enough from other, similar stories.
At times it felt like it was missing something, which might be due to there being a prequel novella, which might have made it easier to start into this new world.
I did really enjoy how the setting felt a bit more mixed up than the same / same western mediaeval standard. It Could have been fleshed out a bit better at times, but overall it was fun to explore this world.
Bits of the writing did throw me out of story though, with way too modern words / phrases here and there. It didn't really fit the rest of the tone in my eyes.
Which leads me to the prose itself could have used another round of tightening up. I prefer to learn through the story, character actions and dialogue, rather than being told things.
The characters had a similar problem for me, where they were good enough to keep me engaged but just a bit too close to the usual tropes to feel fully real.
This has a lot of promise, and I'm curious how future books will shine!
Spark of the Divine by Louise Holland
3.0
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding at the characters in Spak of the Divine by Louise Holland, but the overall plot didn't fully manage to hook me as much as I would have wished.
I have a super hard time pointing out what exactly was missing, but I just didn't care enough about what would happen, and even just a week after finishing it, I am having a hard time remembering the plot. The characters, and some scenes are still very vivid, so those parts did work well, but the overall story just didn't pull together well enough for me.
The romance was way too predictable. and didn't feel organic, but then, romance is never my favourite part in a book, so I didn't mind that.
Still an enjoyable read I finished, but sadly not one that left a lasting impression.
I have a super hard time pointing out what exactly was missing, but I just didn't care enough about what would happen, and even just a week after finishing it, I am having a hard time remembering the plot. The characters, and some scenes are still very vivid, so those parts did work well, but the overall story just didn't pull together well enough for me.
The romance was way too predictable. and didn't feel organic, but then, romance is never my favourite part in a book, so I didn't mind that.
Still an enjoyable read I finished, but sadly not one that left a lasting impression.
Constancy by Tilly Wallace
4.5
Constancy by Tilly Wallace is pure delight in book form.
It's perfect for fans of Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis, it really everyone who loves a Jane Austen like setting with a fabulous female MC and dragons!
I love how Moire is a bit of the ugly duckling in her family, but despite always being short changed, she stays positive and hopeful. She's a kind spirit, and yet willing to fight for what, and who, she seems important!
I loved her connections to all sorts of dragon kind, be it wyvern, big dragons riding into battle, or chicken sized pets. I adored them all, and some scenes were just so satisfying, it should be illegal.
She has such an engaging and charming voice, I immediately fell into her world and story, and wish I could just have some afternoon tea with her and her 2 and 4 legged companions!
The sciency background also was an immediate draw for me, I just love me some fantasy scholars.
My only complaint is the romance, and I could have done without the miscommunication trope, which I personally just hate. As it's a cosy and comfy read, I did like the last bit of that. Luckily there's not too much dwelling on it throughout the story.
It's perfect for fans of Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis, it really everyone who loves a Jane Austen like setting with a fabulous female MC and dragons!
I love how Moire is a bit of the ugly duckling in her family, but despite always being short changed, she stays positive and hopeful. She's a kind spirit, and yet willing to fight for what, and who, she seems important!
I loved her connections to all sorts of dragon kind, be it wyvern, big dragons riding into battle, or chicken sized pets. I adored them all, and some scenes were just so satisfying, it should be illegal.
She has such an engaging and charming voice, I immediately fell into her world and story, and wish I could just have some afternoon tea with her and her 2 and 4 legged companions!
The sciency background also was an immediate draw for me, I just love me some fantasy scholars.
My only complaint is the romance, and I could have done without the miscommunication trope, which I personally just hate. As it's a cosy and comfy read, I did like the last bit of that. Luckily there's not too much dwelling on it throughout the story.
The Forest at the Heart of Her Mage by Hiyodori
4.0
Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion, group verdict might differ widely! 🔥
I only saw the “A sapphic romance” tag after I finished The Forest at the Heart of her Mage by Hiyodiri, as I prefer to start my SPFBO books as blind as possible. For a romance, the romance was very, very low key, and didn't feel central to the story. Yes it's important for the characters, but it's more of a thing that exists, effort they are trying to save the forest, survive, and solve some mysteries. For me this was ideal, as I'm not into all the relationship drama, so I enjoyed this bit being center stage.
The world building was intriguing and well enough to keep me interested, but did feel a bit two dimensional at times, with the occasional part so thin, it's almost see through. The bits that did work however, were fascinating enough to keep me hooked.
The main strength was definitely the characters. While I didn't always feel their emotions, I did enjoy their chemistry, and banter. They both have serious trauma in their past, and some hidden mysteries as well. I thought the trauma and the psychological repercussions were well handled, and formed a main hook for me! They aren't morosely limping through life, but their past just shines through in their actions and emotions.
The plot was a bit meandering at times, and then felt a bit rushed in other scenes, however the twists and turns along the way again made up for this.
Despite seeing quite some flaws, i really enjoyed this story, and finished it in more or less one go.
I only saw the “A sapphic romance” tag after I finished The Forest at the Heart of her Mage by Hiyodiri, as I prefer to start my SPFBO books as blind as possible. For a romance, the romance was very, very low key, and didn't feel central to the story. Yes it's important for the characters, but it's more of a thing that exists, effort they are trying to save the forest, survive, and solve some mysteries. For me this was ideal, as I'm not into all the relationship drama, so I enjoyed this bit being center stage.
The world building was intriguing and well enough to keep me interested, but did feel a bit two dimensional at times, with the occasional part so thin, it's almost see through. The bits that did work however, were fascinating enough to keep me hooked.
The main strength was definitely the characters. While I didn't always feel their emotions, I did enjoy their chemistry, and banter. They both have serious trauma in their past, and some hidden mysteries as well. I thought the trauma and the psychological repercussions were well handled, and formed a main hook for me! They aren't morosely limping through life, but their past just shines through in their actions and emotions.
The plot was a bit meandering at times, and then felt a bit rushed in other scenes, however the twists and turns along the way again made up for this.
Despite seeing quite some flaws, i really enjoyed this story, and finished it in more or less one go.