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maggies's reviews
678 reviews
The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Inconsistently paced and a bit hard to follow until the mystery really got going. Could probably have been edited down and easier to read. The last third was action-packed and really quite fun to listen to. Didn't particularly care for any of the characters, but learned a bit about the British suffrage movement that I'm eager to look into more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder
Dragonhart by Abbie Eaton
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Dragonhart has so much going for it: easy to read, digestible world-building; slow-burn enemies-to-lovers; emotional characters' backstories; magic, gods, and dragons. As a debut, it was strong. However, the overall vibe was less adult or new adult and more YA, despite the couple open door scenes we got. In fact, if those scenes were edited, I really think it should be remarketed as YA, which is not a favorite genre of mine, so I'm perhaps not an ideal audience for the book.
Arla, at 18, is juvenile and brash, and her characterization throughout the book (as a master spy and assassin) was quite at odds with her actions. She has experienced some awful traumas, and she desperately needs therapy. Hark, the "enemy" love interest, is 22 and sometimes swoon-worthy and other times stilted. The plot was good, with a mostly steady pace, but the narration could be repetitive. As some other reviewers have mentioned, Dragonhart has possibly drawn significant inspiration from other popular fantasy/romance books. It also suffered a bit from the curse of tropes: there were moments it felt as though a well-loved trope was dropped into the plot just to tick a box.
Overall, it is worth giving this debut author a read, and I will likely seek out the second book, if the series is picked up, to seek some closure.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Arla, at 18, is juvenile and brash, and her characterization throughout the book (as a master spy and assassin) was quite at odds with her actions. She has experienced some awful traumas, and she desperately needs therapy. Hark, the "enemy" love interest, is 22 and sometimes swoon-worthy and other times stilted. The plot was good, with a mostly steady pace, but the narration could be repetitive. As some other reviewers have mentioned, Dragonhart has possibly drawn significant inspiration from other popular fantasy/romance books. It also suffered a bit from the curse of tropes: there were moments it felt as though a well-loved trope was dropped into the plot just to tick a box.
Overall, it is worth giving this debut author a read, and I will likely seek out the second book, if the series is picked up, to seek some closure.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, War
Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages by Gaston Dorren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Was really not expecting it to be so dry. Couldn’t keep my attention
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. Despite knowing nothing about tarot, it didn't take long for me to understand the magic system—it's complex enough to be interesting and unusual but simple enough to be quickly comprehensible. The development of Clara and Kaelis's relationship and motivations was really well done, and the conflict was well paced. I will certainly be continuing to read the series, and I highly recommend Arcana Academy to all fans of fantasy with mystery, unique magic systems, romance, and heists.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, Grief
Minor: Death of parent
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
Also wonderfully wacky and weird
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
This is a thrilling (or as my mom put it, "freaky") book. Definitely kept me on my toes, and I did not expect the ending, which was nicely wrapped up but didn't come off as too cheesy. Interspersing the events after Ellie's return with chapters from her perspective was a nice touch that added to the tension.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping
Moderate: Racism, Violence
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Randomly chose an Ali Hazelwood book to try since she's everywhere, and I'm glad I tried. This one, at least, is not for me, so I'm unlikely to go back. Miscommunications galore, an MMC "enemy" who never was and also kind of presents himself as a "good guy" stalker, and way too much fainting and (unfortunately) Marie Curie. Also, the giant sexy man + woodland fairy woman dynamic is tired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Maybe three years after publication, this book already feels a little stale, or I was never really going to like it. I had high hopes, but I was disappointed at how un-subtle it all was. Alex's personal coming-of-age story was lovely, and honestly I kind of wish it had just been that. Instead, the clunky feminist messages—very white woman feminism—and disjointed fantasy elements—dragons, magic knots, etc—were distracting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment