marie_thereadingotter's reviews
1274 reviews

Dandadan, Vol. 4 by Yukinobu Tatsu

adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was the funniest and more tense volume yet. 
The latter half of this volume is around where the anime ended, so I am extra excited to read the next one. 

Silver Throat by Siri Pettersen

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

 I received this eBook from NetGalley for review.
 

 This book felt more slow-paced than book 1. I don't know if it's my headspace, or if something about the narrative in this book was slower. I found myself disconnecting from things while reading a lot of the time. I kept wanting things to get to the point, and I sometimes didn't care what was going to happen to the characters. Juva made a lot of really dumb decisions in this book, and it reminded me that she made a lot of really dumb decisions in the first book as well. 

I am really invested in the setting, even if I can't always picture it. That is the downside to this ebook, it doesn't have a map. That makes it hard to visualize where things are, and with a lot of the book being set in one city, where everyone is always running around I could've really used a map. 

I still don't understand what the dynamic between Juva and Grif. I didn't understand it in the first book, and I still don't really understand who they are supposed to be to each other. 

 

The political schemes do have a large focus in this book, which I do appreciate, it just bothers me that everyone is kind of dumb. Juva keeps expecting people to do the right thing or at the very least have some self preservation, and it keeps backfiring. 

As frustrating as a lot of these characters were through this book, I'm still invested in what's to come in the next book. 

Daindreth's Sorceress by Elisabeth Wheatley

adventurous dark 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? No

4.5

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 10 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe

adventurous informative 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

5.0

This volume makes me so excited to read the next one. I wish I had the next one on hand right now so I could read it. Alas, I have to wait for the library, but I don't think it's a super long wait.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 9 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.75

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 8 by Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? Yes

4.75

I really love this series. Fren is so cute when she gets possessive of Frieren. 

Dandadan, Vol. 3 by Yukinobu Tatsu

adventurous funny sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

This volume covered one of the saddest arcs and one of the funniest. 
I got all choked up with tears again when I read the backstory for Acrobatic Selkie. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Sexual content

Warriors by Kathryn Moon

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

I liked this one slightly less than the first. I still love the characters, I just didn't care for the plot of this one as much. I loved that we got to see more of the world and some of the politics of that world were fleshed out more in this book. 
I was disappointed when I discovered that this isn't as queer normative as I had first thought, but overall that's a really small thing. 
I am excited to learn more about Joanna's magic. 
Side note, Bryce is my favorite side character, I want to learn more about them, and I think it would be really cool to get a spin-off about how they found their coven.

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan

adventurous emotional funny tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

 

This series is so fun, while not required reading for the rest of the world, they offer some great insight to how Royce and Hadrian became the close friends they are at the start of Theft of Swords.Their dynamic is so funny and heartwarming. Royce and Hadrian are each other's Unicorn, it's great seeing how close they've gotten in such a short time. This book is full of Easter-Eggs and hints for the main Ryria series, and a little bit for the Rise and Fall series, but it's subtle.  

This book also forced Royce to confront his own heritage more than he's had to before, making him question the prejudices  he's held most of his life. While I think it wouldn't been comforting in a way to Mercator had Royce mentioned something about his heritage, I understand why he hadn't. At this point Royce is still coming to terms with it.

The overall plot of this book doesn't seem to have any effect on what happens in the main series. This is the most side-quest of Ryria Chronicles and it focuses more on Royce and Hadrian than other characters, which I like. I didn't feel any weight of importance with the other characters in this book. Perhaps this book is all about Royce learning to trust Hadrian more, and learning about who he was before they met. 

I do wish Gwen had been in this book more. We get so little of her in the main series, and I know The Crown Tower and The Rose and Throne feature her quite a bit, but she's a favorite character and I want to read more of her. 

Those Not-So-Sweet Boys Vol. 7 by Yoko Nogiri

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I love these characters. I wish there were more volumes so more time could be spent fleshing out some of the minor story lines.