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luanagomes's reviews
1024 reviews
Tomorrow's Children by Daniel Polansky
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This book is such a crazy ride, i loved it.
In this post apocaliptic NYC, where a toxic gas isolated Manhattan from the rest of the world, lots of things are unfolding. The first thing we learn is that a gang leader was killed inside its fortress, and that might set the city are on the brink of war; A sheriff, called Gillian is appointed to investigate whats happening, trying to avoid the worst, but can she do it?
Better yet, does she want it?
And thats all you really know.
The book just toss you in the middle of the action, and we learn how everything works on the go, which can be difficult for most readers. I actually love this kind of approach. You realize that in this verson of New york, the borroughs functions like gangs, and each has its own style, speech and motto. The people are diferent, mutated somehow by the island isolation, and that brings an advantage... maybe?
The book just toss you in the middle of the action, and we learn how everything works on the go, which can be difficult for most readers. I actually love this kind of approach. You realize that in this verson of New york, the borroughs functions like gangs, and each has its own style, speech and motto. The people are diferent, mutated somehow by the island isolation, and that brings an advantage... maybe?
We have way too many POVs, one crazier than the last, that gives us this fast pace movie feel that leaves us kinda dizzy. There is political intrigue and backstabbing galore, and a full war by the end of the story. As we go along with the main characters, we learn their true motivations and desires, which leads to some interesting twists and turns.
This book is weird, and i really enjoy weird books, so plot+ reading experience made this a 5 star read. I liked the style so much i am looking fot other Polansky's book to read.
Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with this ARC
Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with this ARC
Se Ela Soubesse by Blake Pierce
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Boas Meninas Se Afogam Em Silêncio by Andressa Tabaczinski
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
David Aristarkhov is handsome, well-rounded and very successful in his career, a coveted heir to a famous occultists family and one of the most powerful mediums in the Boston area.
But not everything that glitters is gold, right? And it's no surprise that the book's cover has the Hanged Man's tarot card in it. It is a sign for major reassessment, a card that points out that if you don't make an effort to solve your issues, the Universe will do it for you, and it won't make it easy.
And that's exactly what I found here in this book.
One fine day, after a disastrous experience in a medium session, David ends up discovering that all his privileges in life come with hefty price: for fame, charm and power, an ancestor of his sold the soul of the family's firstborn son to the devil.
And now the devil has come for David.
To free himself from this ancestral curse, our protagonist will have to go after Rhys, his ex-boyfriend, a dedicated occult researcher and the only person he still trusts to help him. But between the two there is Moira, Rhys's wife, and David needs to convince them both to join forces to undo this evil that haunts him.
The universe, of course, has other plans for this trio. The proximity awakens old and new feelings alike, and if they don't find out what's happening to David soon, they won't have time to learn what this could mean for them.
Urban fantasy with a touch of romance is my guilty pleasure, and Evocation exceeded my expectations on that part. I was attracted by the magic, but I finished the book involved in the romance, and that's rare to happen, so applause to Saint Gibson, who writes in an engaging way and has already made me interested in her other books. I was not expecting such fascinating characters, with genuine problems and qualities, good dynamics and relationships that feel very real and organic.
The storyline was also very interesting, with secret societies, all kinds of magic, and I am eager to see what comes next. The only thing that disappointed me in this book was the end, I have to say. It felt a little rush and disjointed - was expecting something big and was a tad frustrated, but lets see how the second book will solve this.
Thank you @angryrobotbooks for the chance to read early - Evocation will be released in May in international markets, so keep an eye out!!
But not everything that glitters is gold, right? And it's no surprise that the book's cover has the Hanged Man's tarot card in it. It is a sign for major reassessment, a card that points out that if you don't make an effort to solve your issues, the Universe will do it for you, and it won't make it easy.
And that's exactly what I found here in this book.
One fine day, after a disastrous experience in a medium session, David ends up discovering that all his privileges in life come with hefty price: for fame, charm and power, an ancestor of his sold the soul of the family's firstborn son to the devil.
And now the devil has come for David.
To free himself from this ancestral curse, our protagonist will have to go after Rhys, his ex-boyfriend, a dedicated occult researcher and the only person he still trusts to help him. But between the two there is Moira, Rhys's wife, and David needs to convince them both to join forces to undo this evil that haunts him.
The universe, of course, has other plans for this trio. The proximity awakens old and new feelings alike, and if they don't find out what's happening to David soon, they won't have time to learn what this could mean for them.
Urban fantasy with a touch of romance is my guilty pleasure, and Evocation exceeded my expectations on that part. I was attracted by the magic, but I finished the book involved in the romance, and that's rare to happen, so applause to Saint Gibson, who writes in an engaging way and has already made me interested in her other books. I was not expecting such fascinating characters, with genuine problems and qualities, good dynamics and relationships that feel very real and organic.
The storyline was also very interesting, with secret societies, all kinds of magic, and I am eager to see what comes next. The only thing that disappointed me in this book was the end, I have to say. It felt a little rush and disjointed - was expecting something big and was a tad frustrated, but lets see how the second book will solve this.
Thank you @angryrobotbooks for the chance to read early - Evocation will be released in May in international markets, so keep an eye out!!
The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.25
A very interesting premise right from the start.
Murder owls stalking a library building? Yes, please !
The protagonist, Mads, who is a chemist, is about to teach a sort of summer class on the library to a bunch of 11-12 year olds, as a favor to a friend. And then the owls attack, patrons get stuck in the library for a while, and bad decisions lead to a bunch of people hurt.
One of the high points for me in this book were the people in the library, both kids and adults. They felt very real, relatable in their response to the situation at hand. I was enjoying the read, and was invested in the workings behind the owl's odd behavior, but then soon realized that this was not the main focus of the book. The parliament focuses on Mad's PTSD (something that happened to her as a child ) and how she tries to deal with it and help the people on the library, which is an okay storyline, but not something I was interested in reading in detail.
I wanted to know more about the science of the birds, and the machinations to leave the library, but it all lost momentum too soon, and the explanations were superficial. Some readers will not have a problem with that, for sure, but I was here for the birds, so it fell short for me.
There is also a romance subplot in here that I did not enjoy much, as it did not help further the story.
I also have to agree with some of the readers that we did not need the "book within a book" situation. "The Silent Queen" is a fairy tale book the protagonist reads to the kids to distract from the birds, and it is interspersed within the actual main story. Although I can see why it was there, soon it became a bit too long and dull for me, and took away from the main plot line.
It's one of those cases where the book had a lot of potential, tries too many ideas/directions, and forgets to fleshed out what is important.
Thanks to TorDotCom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Murder owls stalking a library building? Yes, please !
The protagonist, Mads, who is a chemist, is about to teach a sort of summer class on the library to a bunch of 11-12 year olds, as a favor to a friend. And then the owls attack, patrons get stuck in the library for a while, and bad decisions lead to a bunch of people hurt.
One of the high points for me in this book were the people in the library, both kids and adults. They felt very real, relatable in their response to the situation at hand. I was enjoying the read, and was invested in the workings behind the owl's odd behavior, but then soon realized that this was not the main focus of the book. The parliament focuses on Mad's PTSD (something that happened to her as a child ) and how she tries to deal with it and help the people on the library, which is an okay storyline, but not something I was interested in reading in detail.
I wanted to know more about the science of the birds, and the machinations to leave the library, but it all lost momentum too soon, and the explanations were superficial. Some readers will not have a problem with that, for sure, but I was here for the birds, so it fell short for me.
There is also a romance subplot in here that I did not enjoy much, as it did not help further the story.
I also have to agree with some of the readers that we did not need the "book within a book" situation. "The Silent Queen" is a fairy tale book the protagonist reads to the kids to distract from the birds, and it is interspersed within the actual main story. Although I can see why it was there, soon it became a bit too long and dull for me, and took away from the main plot line.
It's one of those cases where the book had a lot of potential, tries too many ideas/directions, and forgets to fleshed out what is important.
Thanks to TorDotCom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.