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librovermo's reviews
217 reviews
The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I loved Philip Fracassi’s unique take on time travel in this book. The concept alone gets the book 3 stars, I don’t care. I’ve always liked time travel stories and I think I’d take the chance to travel through time given the opportunity, but you’d never catch me using the machine Beth and her husband Colson created. That thing is genuinely scary.
This book definitely isn’t horror though - it’s a sci-fi/thriller, and since I’ve only read Fracassi’s Boys in the Valley (great book, A+) and he mostly writes horror, it was fun to read something of his from another genre. I think it’s a decent entry, and it’s obvious he did his research when it comes to the science which I appreciate, as it takes place in the near future so it would make less sense for everything to be made up.
The story was put together well for the most part, and I imagine that can be difficult when time travel is involved. The villain of the story was so evil he felt a bit like a cartoon and everything unfolded in a way that felt a little too cute but that can work for some people. There is one big plot point that really bothered me. There’s absolutely no way to explain it without big fat spoilers but it’s something I think was unnecessary, that didn’t need to be there at all and made me feel disappointed when it happened.
This was a super fast-paced and very quick read for me and I sincerely hope the big issue I had is just a me thing. I hope Fracassi has something else in mind for this genre in the future!
I received an ARC of The Third Rule of Time Travel from Orbit Books via Netgalley.
This book definitely isn’t horror though - it’s a sci-fi/thriller, and since I’ve only read Fracassi’s Boys in the Valley (great book, A+) and he mostly writes horror, it was fun to read something of his from another genre. I think it’s a decent entry, and it’s obvious he did his research when it comes to the science which I appreciate, as it takes place in the near future so it would make less sense for everything to be made up.
The story was put together well for the most part, and I imagine that can be difficult when time travel is involved. The villain of the story was so evil he felt a bit like a cartoon and everything unfolded in a way that felt a little too cute but that can work for some people. There is one big plot point that really bothered me. There’s absolutely no way to explain it without big fat spoilers but it’s something I think was unnecessary, that didn’t need to be there at all and made me feel disappointed when it happened.
This was a super fast-paced and very quick read for me and I sincerely hope the big issue I had is just a me thing. I hope Fracassi has something else in mind for this genre in the future!
I received an ARC of The Third Rule of Time Travel from Orbit Books via Netgalley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
The Witch who Trades with Death by C.M. Alongi
3.0
Usually, I most enjoy romance as a subplot if I enjoy it at all, but it was my favorite thing about The Witch Who Trades With Death. As someone who’s been through years of SA and has a lot of trauma, Khana isn’t ready to jump into a romantic relationship with anyone, and the kind and gentle understanding of Sava gave me butterflies in the way hot MMCs with muscles never do (though to be clear: I’m pretty sure Sava is hot as well). I loved Khana and Sava’s interactions, that they weren’t always flirty but I still knew that it was going somewhere. Khana’s inner turmoil was well-written and Sava’s willingness let her lead was sweet and endearing. When a Khana/Sava scene began, I was always excited.
I felt that while Khana’s friends/found family were a fun bunch, they were a bit one-dimensional. They had more personality when they started training for battle and then sort of faded into background characters that I couldn’t really tell apart. For example, when the unit first got together, one of them was grumpy and unfriendly. Once the unit bonded and everyone became friends, the grump was basically never grumpy again and I confused him with other members of the unit several times because his biggest character trait was gone now that he liked everyone. Most of the others were also defined by one or two simple traits: the married one who likes animals, the young shy one, etc., and I wish that as Khana’s besties who were integral to the story, they’d had a little more depth.
When I started the book, I didn’t realize there would be war and battle scenes. There’s quite a bit of them between training for battle and going to war with the emperor who forced Khana to be his concubine. I’m not a big fan of long battle scenes and luckily for me, Khana and her unit spent their downtime back home rather than at a camp or something, but I found myself less interested in the action scenes even though they did include some exciting moments.
The magic system, âji, was interesting. I like the idea of witches who draw life force from one living thing to transfer to another as a way to heal them, it’s very cool. I’m a bit torn on it though as there were other parts of the magic that were conveniently mentioned only when they were needed in the moment, like suddenly Khana could do something with the âji that she hadn’t brought up or done a single time before.
So while my overall enjoyment of the book was a bit lopsided, I think it would be a good match for anyone who likes a lot of tense fighting scenes on a grand(ish) scale alongside stories of found family and a bit of slow burn romance.
I received an ARC of this book from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
I felt that while Khana’s friends/found family were a fun bunch, they were a bit one-dimensional. They had more personality when they started training for battle and then sort of faded into background characters that I couldn’t really tell apart. For example, when the unit first got together, one of them was grumpy and unfriendly. Once the unit bonded and everyone became friends, the grump was basically never grumpy again and I confused him with other members of the unit several times because his biggest character trait was gone now that he liked everyone. Most of the others were also defined by one or two simple traits: the married one who likes animals, the young shy one, etc., and I wish that as Khana’s besties who were integral to the story, they’d had a little more depth.
When I started the book, I didn’t realize there would be war and battle scenes. There’s quite a bit of them between training for battle and going to war with the emperor who forced Khana to be his concubine. I’m not a big fan of long battle scenes and luckily for me, Khana and her unit spent their downtime back home rather than at a camp or something, but I found myself less interested in the action scenes even though they did include some exciting moments.
The magic system, âji, was interesting. I like the idea of witches who draw life force from one living thing to transfer to another as a way to heal them, it’s very cool. I’m a bit torn on it though as there were other parts of the magic that were conveniently mentioned only when they were needed in the moment, like suddenly Khana could do something with the âji that she hadn’t brought up or done a single time before.
So while my overall enjoyment of the book was a bit lopsided, I think it would be a good match for anyone who likes a lot of tense fighting scenes on a grand(ish) scale alongside stories of found family and a bit of slow burn romance.
I received an ARC of this book from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski
4.25
While I never would have read this book if I didn’t think I’d like it, I was surprised by how much I did.
Nick Kolakowski makes the private eye crime novel feel fresh with Dash, a sort of Hollywood fixer, working for movie studios to make the crimes (some of which were absolutely abhorrent) and indiscretions of various actors go away. I found this extremely interesting, especially when Dash, used to covering things up for the Hollywood elite, finds himself in the middle of someone else’s cover-up when he agrees to help Madeline find out what happened to her father.
I thought Dash would primarily work alone but I was pleasantly surprised when Madeline tagged along and kicked ass right by his side. They had some fun banter that I was happy didn’t lean towards romantic. They just had a nice friendship and I enjoyed its growth from strangers to partners in crime. Also: Madeline is a badass.
The story was really great, there’s a lot of action and some fun twists and turns along the way. I was able to predict a part but I always hesitate to call a twist or turn predictable because who knows what anyone else will be able to figure out ahead of time? I’m someone who likes to guess and is constantly trying to figure it out and then give myself a pat on the back if I’m right so I loved it, personally, and I think it was an excellent angle.
I definitely recommend this one to anyone interested in a dark, action-packed, and suspenseful mystery that you won’t want to put down.
Thank you to Nick Kolakowski for sending me an ARC of Where the Bones Lie!
Nick Kolakowski makes the private eye crime novel feel fresh with Dash, a sort of Hollywood fixer, working for movie studios to make the crimes (some of which were absolutely abhorrent) and indiscretions of various actors go away. I found this extremely interesting, especially when Dash, used to covering things up for the Hollywood elite, finds himself in the middle of someone else’s cover-up when he agrees to help Madeline find out what happened to her father.
I thought Dash would primarily work alone but I was pleasantly surprised when Madeline tagged along and kicked ass right by his side. They had some fun banter that I was happy didn’t lean towards romantic. They just had a nice friendship and I enjoyed its growth from strangers to partners in crime. Also: Madeline is a badass.
The story was really great, there’s a lot of action and some fun twists and turns along the way. I was able to predict a part but I always hesitate to call a twist or turn predictable because who knows what anyone else will be able to figure out ahead of time? I’m someone who likes to guess and is constantly trying to figure it out and then give myself a pat on the back if I’m right so I loved it, personally, and I think it was an excellent angle.
I definitely recommend this one to anyone interested in a dark, action-packed, and suspenseful mystery that you won’t want to put down.
Thank you to Nick Kolakowski for sending me an ARC of Where the Bones Lie!
Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell
adventurous
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
5.0
Holy crap. So, I am a big John Wiswell fan who will read literally anything he writes and did the happiest of happy dances when I was approved for the ARC of Wearing the Lion, but I promise to write a fair and balanced review. Mostly. Okay, I will try.
I liked the structure of the book, with a chapter split in two: one half from Herecles’ point of view and the other from Hera’s. It was interesting to see things from both perspectives, but it also made it so easy to see how similar they truly are as two lost souls having major identity crises and yearning for somewhere they belong.
I love how beautifully every character evolves throughout the story. Hera and Heracles obviously show a lot of growth as strong main characters but even secondary characters like Boar and Granny were out there learning and growing. Heracles is such a sweet, naive man I couldn’t help but root for throughout his years-long journey. And Hera! She’s such a deep and well-written character. I felt her pain, her struggles, her turmoil. Her constant scheming and interference are so much fun (no matter her motivation) and being inside her head was always a good time, though I have to admit she lost me a few times during her scheming. It could get pretty complicated!
Heracles’ found family was incredible and so unique. He finds acceptance with a ragtag pack of monsters (like, actual monsters, okay?), proving that home really is where the heart is. The LGBTQIA+ rep was an extremely welcome surprise as well.
Wearing the Lion has so much heart and a lot of humor to lighten the mood when things get serious. It’s similar to John Wiswell’s debut novel, Someone You Can Build a Nest In in a lot of ways, and though I’d say it’s not cozy in the way that one has been described, I think if you enjoyed one, you’ll likely enjoy the other just as much as I did.
Thank you DAW Books, from whom I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen by George McCalman
5.0
Ever since I learned about Claudette Colvin (thanks, Drunk History), I’ve been interested in learning more about the people behind the scenes of history. Unfortunately, too many of those people belong to marginalized communities. We all know America (and, I mean, a lot of the world) loves to whitewash its history and it’s nice to see books like this that seek to correct that.
I learned… A LOT about Black people who made a significant contributions to our society and culture and have gone unrecognized for far too long. There were a few people who really stood out to me, and among them was Augusta Braxton Baker, who, in 1934, was the first person to receive a bachelors degree in library science. She worked at the New York Public Library and worked to remove books with harmful stereotypes about Black people from the children’s library. She also made sure there was accurate representation in books for Black children. She went on to consult for Sesame Street and someone even wrote a book (called My Dog Rinty) in which she was a character. There are bigger stories in the book, but you will also find stories like Baker’s. Her work might seem small compared to the famous Black people everyone has heard of, like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr., but it was so important and it touched so many lives.
The art is beautiful. I love that George McCalman used different mediums and that each portrait was heavily influenced by his knowledge of the person he was drawing/painting/etc. It’s obvious that he put great care into creating a portrait for each person that was uniquely theirs.
This would be a really great book to have around to pick up and flip through here and there. The bio on each person is short enough that you could turn to a random page, admire the art, learn something, repeat. That sounds fun. Maybe I’ll buy a copy!
Decadence by Soph Tang
emotional
reflective
5.0
I’m a big fan of Soph’s writing and it’s especially lovely in Decadence. There were a few times where I had to stop and reread lines just to bask in their beauty. Or reread them because they spoke to me so clearly, especially when it came to Elise’s relationship with Viri. Elise has had a lot of the same feelings I’ve had about my own relationship, and it was nice to see them reflected in such a relatable way.
The story was great, with plenty of background info on Elise and Lily’s relationship to help you understand why receiving a text from Lily disrupts her life so severely. Elise spends a lot of time asking herself “what if?” and feeling A LOT of feelings. I saw another review mention “disaster gays” and honestly… yes.
A couple times, I was a little confused while reading but I found that I liked it (especially since it didn’t happen often/didn’t take away from the story). I can’t give specific examples (because spoilers!), but I enjoyed coming up with my own ideas for why they happened and I wonder if certain character behaviors will be further explained in future books.
I’m really intrigued by the concept of the Across Space and Time series. It sounds kind of like a multiverse kind of thing but… a little different, and I like that the books will be different genres. I’m looking forward to reading and learning more about these characters, especially Theo. I need to know more about Theo!
Thank you, Soph, for letting me read an early copy!
The story was great, with plenty of background info on Elise and Lily’s relationship to help you understand why receiving a text from Lily disrupts her life so severely. Elise spends a lot of time asking herself “what if?” and feeling A LOT of feelings. I saw another review mention “disaster gays” and honestly… yes.
A couple times, I was a little confused while reading but I found that I liked it (especially since it didn’t happen often/didn’t take away from the story). I can’t give specific examples (because spoilers!), but I enjoyed coming up with my own ideas for why they happened and I wonder if certain character behaviors will be further explained in future books.
I’m really intrigued by the concept of the Across Space and Time series. It sounds kind of like a multiverse kind of thing but… a little different, and I like that the books will be different genres. I’m looking forward to reading and learning more about these characters, especially Theo. I need to know more about Theo!
Thank you, Soph, for letting me read an early copy!