maello's reviews
37 reviews

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

Goes too slow in some parts, took me a while to get into it. MC is kind of stupid and not very relatable.

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes dark academia type of stuff. That being said, the book is heavy/dense and it takes a while for it to truly pick up.

If you love secrets/scheming/secret agendas, multiple POV's, and dark academia/magic stuff, I would definitely recommend this book! However if that doesn't sound like something that interests you, this book probably won't be your cup of tea. Some of the characters feel snooty or with a superior complex but I think it's normal to pick favorites of your characters depending on who you empathize most with. The dialogue does get a bit wordy at times and I am definitely guilty of skipping paragraphs here and there once it was but I truly did enjoy the book. I just have attention span/instant-gratification needed issues.

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The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

I had a hard time starting this book, but once I made it through the first few chapters I read the rest of the book in the same day. Overall I found it alright, the pacing was a bit slow, it wasn’t until the last few chapters of the book that we were actually where we were traveling to the whole rest of the book. and the action happened there very quickly. i do think that this was intentional, to represent the surge and quickness of Wren’s feelings at the end.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

A good book, better than the first but not as good as a second. This book is certainly the 'ending' and it does a good job at tying together the loose ends, and to begin a healing process for many. There wasn't as much of trickery and such, but there was still a lot of good. Unlike the 2nd book where it felt like we were constantly trying to stay one step ahead, this one feels a lot simpler. In some ways I can see why some say it is a disappointment, but for me it comes welcomely. It is a good ending, and I enjoyed it.

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The Wicked King by Holly Black

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the best book of the series (IMO). It's full of the faerie stuff of making sure your words are smart, of promises and of schemes. It is dramatic, it is tense, it is adventurous. There is so much unfolding. The pace is fast, but I wouldn't say it is rushed. It is fast because we have to always be on our toes, trying to be one step ahead as Jude is. Things thrown her way ruin her plans, and she has to adapt-- quickly-- before things get horrible. Overall this is my favorite, and I'm glad I stuck with this series despite my initial issues with the first book. In this book you learn much more of the main crew. Their thoughts, their reasoning, etc.

Content Warnings

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book would be a lot higher but I found the beginning slow-- which surprised me given that the first few scenes as brutal. There is a lot of death/murder in this series, something that you should probably know going into them. The prince and his friends are horrible to Jude, perhaps in ways that some would consider 'unredeemable'. Popular critiques of the characters is valid, and so it is up to you to decide whether they are redeemable or not. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I had to take several breaks just getting through the first half but it really started to pick up in a sense and by the time I finished it I had to pick up the second book.

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The Therapist by B.A. Paris

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dark mysterious tense slow-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

2.0

Like many others, I found the beginning incredibly boring. I guessed the ending early enough, and although there were red herrings, it didn't really feel like they got me. (And I usually get 'got' by everything lol). It kind of felt like I was reading just to finish it at one point (to get my money's worth). Although I can understand why others may like this book (if they didn't expect the turns, etc), it just wasn't for me. I didn't find the characters loveable or honestly that friendly. Alice's friends just felt like plot devices/reasons to write off her boyfriend at the time. The neighborhood people were purposely annoying and clique-y and the 'you can't sit with us' drama was annoying.

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