Take a photo of a barcode or cover
luanagomes's reviews
1024 reviews
Queen of None by Natania Barron
One day I was strolling through Threads, and saw the Natania Barron herself talking about this book and how it was to become available on Netgalley. I read the synopsis, found it right up my alley, and just felt compelled to give it a chance.
And I am so happy I did - what a pleasant surprise this book was !
This book tells the story of Arthur's youngest full blooded sister Anna, after she is widowed and comes back live at Arthur's court. She believes she might found some peace and quiet after a miserable existence at Lothian/Orkney. Unfortunately, she is once again at Arthur and Merlin's mercy, and will be used as a means to an end, as most women were at the time, at the expense of her own happiness.
The author bent the legends here and there to fit the story, and I did not mind it, but i know some people might not like it. I liked Anna and her struggles to find agency, and liked to see her attempts at building relationships with her estranged family after so long. It was also good to see, through Anna's eyes, the beginning of the decline for Arthur's kingdom.
My critique is minor, I think . The pacing was a little off for me in the second half, where we have the revenge plot. That plot was good enough, but as other readers pointed out, would have benefited from some more build up/refining in my opinion.
Overall, it was a solid read. It is a first book on a trilogy, but it does leave loose ends, which i appreciate. Interest to see how the others will come about.
I thank Solaris Books and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
3.75
One day I was strolling through Threads, and saw the Natania Barron herself talking about this book and how it was to become available on Netgalley. I read the synopsis, found it right up my alley, and just felt compelled to give it a chance.
And I am so happy I did - what a pleasant surprise this book was !
This book tells the story of Arthur's youngest full blooded sister Anna, after she is widowed and comes back live at Arthur's court. She believes she might found some peace and quiet after a miserable existence at Lothian/Orkney. Unfortunately, she is once again at Arthur and Merlin's mercy, and will be used as a means to an end, as most women were at the time, at the expense of her own happiness.
The author bent the legends here and there to fit the story, and I did not mind it, but i know some people might not like it. I liked Anna and her struggles to find agency, and liked to see her attempts at building relationships with her estranged family after so long. It was also good to see, through Anna's eyes, the beginning of the decline for Arthur's kingdom.
My critique is minor, I think . The pacing was a little off for me in the second half, where we have the revenge plot. That plot was good enough, but as other readers pointed out, would have benefited from some more build up/refining in my opinion.
Overall, it was a solid read. It is a first book on a trilogy, but it does leave loose ends, which i appreciate. Interest to see how the others will come about.
I thank Solaris Books and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
2.75
The mystery is just average, and you need to forgive a lot to make this story work, because the protagonist is actively messing up with police procedural left and right so bad she actually steals things from crime scenes.
My main issue with this book was I found constant demeaning commentaries towards women. Some were very light, others not so munch, but all felt very unnecessary by pointing out weight, beauty, makeup, marriage. As I was reading I kept thinking "Come on, chill, it was probably written in the late 80's/90's..." but then I found it was published in the early 2000s. Everything felt very judgmental and super dated, and I will not continue with the series.
Oh, but the recipes seem delicious
My main issue with this book was I found constant demeaning commentaries towards women. Some were very light, others not so munch, but all felt very unnecessary by pointing out weight, beauty, makeup, marriage. As I was reading I kept thinking "Come on, chill, it was probably written in the late 80's/90's..." but then I found it was published in the early 2000s. Everything felt very judgmental and super dated, and I will not continue with the series.
Oh, but the recipes seem delicious
Holly by Stephen King
adventurous
mysterious
4.0
Stephen King já comentou algumas vezes que Holly Gibney é um personagem que o pegou de surpresa. Era pra ser só mais uma coadjuvante lá na trilogia Mercedes, mas a sua voz foi ganhando espaço, e arrebatou o autor.
E aqui estamos nós, muitos livros depois, na companhia dela mais uma vez ! Em "Holly", o mais novo livro do King, temos um romance policial/suspense muito bem desenvolvido, alfinetadas politicas pós pandemia muito pertinentes, e um arco de amadurecimento de Holly Gibney que é um grande presente aos fãs que, como eu, também se afeiçoaram a essa personagem.
Holly, que é detetive particular, é contratada por uma mãe desesperada atrás de notícias da filha, que a polícia declarou como mera pessoa desaparecida. Não há recursos nem pessoal pra lidar com casos dessa natureza em meio à crise da pandemia, que é o pano de fundo desse livro. A investigação começa a deixar os culpados preocupados, porque Holly descobre que a moça pode não ser a única vítima.
Logo no início da história, a gente já fica sabendo quem são os vilões, e eu gostei muito dessa escolha. Acompanhamos suas artimanhas para escapar das suspeitas de todos, e conhecemos melhor as motivações para os crimes, que se misturam a questões politicas de forma bem interessante. Outro ponto forte do livro é o desenvolvimento de Holly como personagem. Ela é uma personagem neuro divergente que, a cada novo livro do King, vai ganhando agencia, vai tomando as rédeas de sua vida. Nesse livro, Holly se descobre capaz de muito mais do que imaginava, e foi lindo de acompanhar.
E aqui estamos nós, muitos livros depois, na companhia dela mais uma vez ! Em "Holly", o mais novo livro do King, temos um romance policial/suspense muito bem desenvolvido, alfinetadas politicas pós pandemia muito pertinentes, e um arco de amadurecimento de Holly Gibney que é um grande presente aos fãs que, como eu, também se afeiçoaram a essa personagem.
Holly, que é detetive particular, é contratada por uma mãe desesperada atrás de notícias da filha, que a polícia declarou como mera pessoa desaparecida. Não há recursos nem pessoal pra lidar com casos dessa natureza em meio à crise da pandemia, que é o pano de fundo desse livro. A investigação começa a deixar os culpados preocupados, porque Holly descobre que a moça pode não ser a única vítima.
Logo no início da história, a gente já fica sabendo quem são os vilões, e eu gostei muito dessa escolha. Acompanhamos suas artimanhas para escapar das suspeitas de todos, e conhecemos melhor as motivações para os crimes, que se misturam a questões politicas de forma bem interessante. Outro ponto forte do livro é o desenvolvimento de Holly como personagem. Ela é uma personagem neuro divergente que, a cada novo livro do King, vai ganhando agencia, vai tomando as rédeas de sua vida. Nesse livro, Holly se descobre capaz de muito mais do que imaginava, e foi lindo de acompanhar.
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
What an interesting book !
One of the leaders of the Empire is trying to fulfil his grandfather Genghis Kan dreams of expansion. Now, the focus of the Mongol Empire is conquering Persia, and the battle comes as a warning - they are expanding West, and want to reach further and further. We follow the plans, victories and failures of the mongol armies while getting to know different characters and motivations. We also learn the stories of those destroyed by the invasions, people who are struggling to rebuild, and are keen on revenge.
It's a book that mixes action, history and political intrigue well. It is also a book with no frills, it's straightforward, but without losing the sight of the narrative and providing good character development. The story was well wrapped up, left me very satisfied and curious to know what comes next.
My only criticism is that I expected more fantasy sprinkled throughout the narrative - after all, it is marketed as such. The fantasy elements only show up at the very end of the book. As I was invested in the story, I did not miss the fantasy much, but i hope we see more in the next book.
For those who like fantasy with historical and military themes, like me, this book is a great treat.
Thank you so much to Angry Robot for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review. I look forward to the next book !
One of the leaders of the Empire is trying to fulfil his grandfather Genghis Kan dreams of expansion. Now, the focus of the Mongol Empire is conquering Persia, and the battle comes as a warning - they are expanding West, and want to reach further and further. We follow the plans, victories and failures of the mongol armies while getting to know different characters and motivations. We also learn the stories of those destroyed by the invasions, people who are struggling to rebuild, and are keen on revenge.
It's a book that mixes action, history and political intrigue well. It is also a book with no frills, it's straightforward, but without losing the sight of the narrative and providing good character development. The story was well wrapped up, left me very satisfied and curious to know what comes next.
My only criticism is that I expected more fantasy sprinkled throughout the narrative - after all, it is marketed as such. The fantasy elements only show up at the very end of the book. As I was invested in the story, I did not miss the fantasy much, but i hope we see more in the next book.
For those who like fantasy with historical and military themes, like me, this book is a great treat.
Thank you so much to Angry Robot for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review. I look forward to the next book !
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0