lori_larsson's reviews
215 reviews

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

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3.0

These books are very readable. They are not particularly well-written. But they do keep you wanting to know what happens. Which, I mean, what more can you really ask of a book, I gues? 
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

My main complaint about this book is it felt like I got dropped in the middle of something I was supposed to know a lot more about than I did.  Like maybe large chunks of exposition got edited out? I'm still excited about this author and will definitely read more. 
Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

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dark funny hopeful sad tense fast-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? No

4.0

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

So if you look at my stars, don't think the rating is because it's not a good book. It's just not a book for me. I don't mind dark YA fantasy horror, but  I just think maybe contemporary horror isn't my thing.  It took me a while to adjust to the writing style and rhythm of this one, it was florid and discriptive cryptic--the protagonist isn't exactly an unreliable narrator but she picks and chooses what to tell the reader. Once I had some sort of grasp of what was happening inside the house, it started to come together for me and I enjoyed the resolution. 
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book was a slog. Too long. Too repetitive. Too many new characters introduced when we really just wanted to get to know the characters we had better.  I am hearing the plan is for a 5 or 6 book series--I just hope it isn't 3 more books of the protagonists arguing about the same thing over and over again. And the ending 🙄🙄
The Liar's Knot by M.A. Carrick

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I loved the first book so much, and this didn't quite live up to that. The pace felt a bit slower, the tension wasn't strung as tightly. I'm very invested in the main plot line that will wrap up in the 3rd book, though. And I'm not mad at the gentle romance, either. 
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is VERY dark in subject matter and full of body horror. It's YA maybe only in word density and sentence structure, if that makes any sense--I'd really have to know the young adult before I would say they were reay for this. But there is a good author's letter in the beginning explaining what the reader is about to get into.  I finished this book in 2 days because I could barely put it down, but I was shaking my head the whole time. It was a wild ride. 
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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I don't really know what to say about this book. It was entertaining. I was eager to finish it and learn what happens. But some of the writing was just not that great there was this huge big fantasy world and ball point pens were magic? A whole other set of history and lore and someone in the last chapter gives the middle finger--it came out of no where and just felt like an anachronism. A war school that doesn't care of 50% of each class dies and, in fact, sets them up to do just that, but then complains about the fact that their numbers are dwindling? Why does this school exist? What parent would truly send their child to it? I don't know. Whatever, I'm downloading the second book as we speak so I don't have much room to talk, I guess. 
A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This is a cozy fantasy about a baking competiton. A lot of these style books have popped up after the success of Legends and Lattes and the quality of them is. . .variable. The writing in this one is mid. The plot is fun and the style is truly cozy. But--the main character, Arleta, is so anxious and has so little confidence in herself for so little reason that her hemming and hawing almost gets annoying. All the characters are just there to further her story, even the love interest doesn't get too much of a personality of his own. All in all it was still pretty cute and since I read this kind of a book as a break from heavy stuff, I probably will read the second book in the series eventually. Comparable titles like Legends and Lattes, Cursed Cocktails, and You Can't Spell Treason without Tea hit better for me.