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marie_thereadingotter's reviews
1288 reviews
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Vol. 2 by Yoko Nogiri
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received this book from NetGalley for review
The biggest let down of this book is that the illustrations in the ARC copy didn't always render properly, but the ones that do are stunning. I know the physical copy is going to be one of the most beautiful non-special edition out there. I may have to buy it even though this wasn't a new favorite, even though I did enjoy it
That aside, the pacing was a little slow for my taste at the start. It took about half the book for me to feel connected to the characters. And that's my main complaint for this book, the pacing. When I did start to get to know the characters more, I loved all of them. Even the antagonist, he was a good character to hate, and someone that in a lot of ways reminded me of people I've met in my life.
The romance in this book was really well done. It's slow burn in a sense, and a little bit hate to love. I thought how they connected to each other was done in a very organic way, and it didn't feel forced. It was sweet, and I liked seeing Benny accept himself.
This is a beautiful story of self acceptance and self discovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Written by Kathryn Moon
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This is the second Kathryn Moon book I've read, and I like this one a lot more. I still enjoyed the other one, but I liked the characters in this book more. The romance aspect also felt more fleshed out in this book, and there was more of an overall plot.
I liked how the two plots were intertwined well. The plot of Joanna discovering more about herself, the romance/connection to Aiden, Callum, and Isaac, as well as the thing haunting the campus are all connected and get resolved together. I also really loved that this is a world that is very queer normative. People's sexuality is never addressed or mentioned. The fact that three male witches are in a coven together, and add a woman is only a big deal because they'd been a three person coven for 10 years. The other coven we see has a mix of male and female and one non-binary person, it's talked about in a very casual way.
The spice was well written, and were never out of place the way it can sometimes be. I am intrigued by the different types of magic introduced. Musical magic, writing magic, and color magic. I look forward to the other kinds of magic this series has to offer.
I liked how the two plots were intertwined well. The plot of Joanna discovering more about herself, the romance/connection to Aiden, Callum, and Isaac, as well as the thing haunting the campus are all connected and get resolved together. I also really loved that this is a world that is very queer normative. People's sexuality is never addressed or mentioned. The fact that three male witches are in a coven together, and add a woman is only a big deal because they'd been a three person coven for 10 years. The other coven we see has a mix of male and female and one non-binary person, it's talked about in a very casual way.
The spice was well written, and were never out of place the way it can sometimes be. I am intrigued by the different types of magic introduced. Musical magic, writing magic, and color magic. I look forward to the other kinds of magic this series has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death
Minor: War
Boudicca by P.C. Cast
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 33%.
This book is a struggle to read. I have never read anything else by this author, I did look at her other published work, and it seems her other work has been YA Urban Fantasy. That's a very different genre from what this book has been pitched as, Adult *Historical* fantasy.
I am not as familiar with the history as I would like to be, but something about dialogue and character interactions felt oddly modern, for lack of a better word. There are parts that are over written in a way that comes across as trying to be more "mystical", but it just felt clunky. It may seem like a small thing but the lack of contractions might be part of it. Using 'cannot' over 'can't', and so forth. Contractions were used before modern times and for me it slowed the pace.
I have struggled with reading historical fantasy in the past when it involves someone who did exist. And I think that this book didn't have enough fantasy added to it to draw more of a line between the historical and fantasy parts.
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook
I am not as familiar with the history as I would like to be, but something about dialogue and character interactions felt oddly modern, for lack of a better word. There are parts that are over written in a way that comes across as trying to be more "mystical", but it just felt clunky. It may seem like a small thing but the lack of contractions might be part of it. Using 'cannot' over 'can't', and so forth. Contractions were used before modern times and for me it slowed the pace.
I have struggled with reading historical fantasy in the past when it involves someone who did exist. And I think that this book didn't have enough fantasy added to it to draw more of a line between the historical and fantasy parts.
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook
Those Not-So-Sweet Boys, Vol. 1 by Yoko Nogiri
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was cute. Not very realistic in a lot of ways, but I liked it.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 7 by Kanehito Yamada
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This volume overlaps with the end of season 1, and I loved reading the parts that weren't in the anime (yet). Frieren continues to be my favorite awkward bean, she's doing her best and we love her for it.
Stark and Fern, so freaking cute!
The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book for maybe the first third. Them being hired to consult on how to "protect" the princess was clearly as set-up, and for a minute there I was worried they weren't going to figure it out. Royce already did, and of course Hadrian with his positive outlook on everything was duped and didn't exactly figure it out until someone else told him. He and Royce have only known each other for a couple of years at this point, but don't yet have the level of trust they have when we meet them in Theft of Swords.
The other thing that was leaving me unsatisfied was the painter sub-plot. For a while there it didn't feel like it was going anywhere, and it only lead somewhere after something tragic happened. I wish it hadn't ended the way it did. I know why it did end that way, I just didn't like it.
This is a book that you will have to have read after reading Legends of the First Empire. The reveal for a certain character won't make sense if you don't. It's a nice little Easter Egg that I wish had played more of a role in Chronicles.
I also feel like a lot was left unanswered. Things get wrapped up rather quickly, I think this book could've used another chapter, or an epilogue.
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 by Kousuke Oono
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is very funny. 10/10
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I received this book from NetGalley for review
This book has taken me what feels like an age to finish. The pacing was really slow for so much of the book. I am not familiar with this figure in history, it wasn't something covered when I was in school (so little was), so I have no historical context of who they are.
That aside, I never felt like I understood the world, and it's supposed to be a historical fantasy version of ours so there was always this disconnect. The magic felt glossed over at best. I also was never sure of how old she was during any part of the story. At one point she mentions "when I was young" but then a sentence later she mentions that she's barely 12 and that left me thing 'that's still young, what do you mean?'
The story is primarily told from Malinalli's perspective, as it is her story, but it was so focused on her all the side-characters fell a little flat, which for me left Malinalli as a bit of a hollow character. Her personality was the arch-type 'loud and angry', not that she didn't have reason to be either of those, but with no other emotions, it made her a tough character to empathize or sympathize with when I probably was expected to. I don't like the trend of a good female character is one that angry or "acts like a man". Men and women are allowed to be sad and vulnerable, and I didn't see any point where she displayed one of those emotions even when it would've made sense for her to.
I don't typically read historical fantasy that follows person who actually existed, so these issues might not bother people who read this sub-genre more than I do. But for me, this book was a little lackluster.