lauren_miller's reviews
754 reviews

Devouring Darkness by Chloe Neill

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

i enjoyed this installment more than the last but not as much as the first two.

i am thrilled that a) Lulu accepted and used her powers, b) Lulu also kinda came to terms with her feelings(?) for Alexei, c) that Lis and the monster made great strides to understand each other, d) Connor came into his Apex power, and e) we got to learn more about the ley lines and what they really mean for Chicago and magic in general. that said...

that fucking epilogue!?!?! I am SCREAMING. Nov. 13th cannot come soon enough.

4 out of 5 stars ⭐ 

Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense 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? No

3.5

definitely my least favorite installment this far, but still an entertaining read. Elisa’s villain-style full-on monologues were *chef’s kiss* and so many things about the ending had me smiling like a fool. also, elves!?! i’m not ready… but i’m still wholly invested in this universe and can’t wait for more.

3.5ish out of 5 stars ⭐️

Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

ok, I LOVED this installment.

I am, for better or for worse, obsessed w/ the isolated setting + mystery combo, and this was just that, not to mention the convoluted pack politics (annoying at times but so interesting), the lovable cast of side characters (you go, Georgia, you tell 'em who's in charge!), and the deeper look into Connor's character and the leader he's shaping up to be (spoiler: it's a good one). And the chemistryyyyy 🔥🔥 I am in love with Elonnor? Colisa?? whatever you want to call their ship. I'm also veryyy invested in whether or not Lulu will break her own self-imposed dating ban... So many things to look forward to, I guess!

4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐️

Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

adventurous funny 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? It's complicated

4.25

2024 re-read: Emma GARZA!? The way I gasped lol. I really wish there was a shifter companion series to the Chicagoland books b/c I desperately want to know how Damien finally wifed up such a gem. In other news, this was so different having read Merit and Ethan's books! I knew it would be, but it still hit hard, especially Elisa using her non-novitiate loophole to investigate; while I totally think she did the right thing, I felt so conflicted for Ethan. While Elisa is his baby and Merit is his wife, Cadogan is his life and legacy. To have such a technicality thrown in his face was rough... But anyways, I had a lot of fun, just slightly more nuanced this time around! Still highly rate and recommend 🥰

y’all, I AM a sucker for paranormal romance, but I want it all—characterization and world-building and real romantic chemistry and enough violence to satisfy my inner chaos goblin… 

…and this delivered!!!

Elisa is easy to like, the supernatural/human societal landscape was fascinating, the political intrigue was well done, the romance had a real spark, the side characters were well-incorporated and interesting, and overall, I’m so excited to learn more about this universe.

sure, there were things I didn’t love (the ending in particular was lackluster imo), but i am willing to look past them because a) it’s a series, so there’s room for improvement, and b) i’m already so invested in Elisa’s little problem and her relationship with Conner and where the HELL the politics are going.

solid 4.25 out of 5 stars ⭐️

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

this installment was so interesting...

less beautiful and quaint and magical,
more philosophical, unrooted, ruminative.

not a bad change, by any means, just different. the focus on friendship (and in particular, companionship) was lovely, the commentary on relationships—both physical and emotional—was intriguing, and there were so many moments that had me questioning myself and my own thoughts and interpretations.

so. many. questions. for better or for worse.

I can't wait for more.

4.25 out of 5 stars, ★★★★☆

Shuna's Journey by Hayao Miyazaki

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

I’m not sure how to rate this, to be honest.

It’s a vast, sparse, and cruel story. There are elements that speak in the same language as Miyazaki’s other works, but the overall atmosphere and plot are bleak and less than charming. 

Unfortunately, I doubt I will pick up the next volume.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? N/A

5.0

A winding, challenging, heartbreaking, and life-affirming conclusion...

While bittersweet, it was the conclusion the Companions deserved.

Eternal rest for the friends lost.
Eternal contentment to the friends voyaging on.
And all hail the High King and Queen of Prydain.

Office Gods by Catharina Octorina Sio

lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

Thank you to Andrews McMeel and Edelweiss for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Judging by some of less than favorable reviews, I imagine they've not picked up manga before or even heard of the likes of Tapas and Webtoon... It's not supposed to be that serious lol.

The whole point of the first chapters/novel/installment is usually to establish 3 things: the protagonist, the setting, and the potential love interest(s). This first installment did just that and also managed some decent world-building, gorgeous artwork, and characters I already want to know more about. What I love in particular is my apathy towards the romance; if it happens, cool, but if it didn't, I probably wouldn't mind or even miss it. I really like Iris as a MC and her personal history with the gods; I'm so intrigued to see how everything will play out with Artemis, especially. And Shira!! God love her (pun only kind of intended), I adore women that want to punch gods in the face lmao.

Needless to say, I'll definitely be picking up the next one! 4.25 out of 5 stars. 

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

Taran’s growth was wonderful and host of characters, well- and ill-met, were so entertaining. this may be my favorite installment so far! 

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

new material!! it was good, but severely lacking in Eilonwy despite literally being all about her… 🙃